Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2025 All Rights Reserved

Dispute in the parliament in Sofia over whether an MEP betrays Bulgarian interests

Toshko Yordanov, MP from ITN
Photo: BGNES

The actions of Bulgaria's MEP Ilhan Kyuchyuk, elected from the quota of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), who should represent Bulgaria in the European Parliament, are national betrayal, said MP Toshko Yordanov from "There is such a people" (ITN) in a statement from the rostrum of the Bulgarian Parliament. According to Yordanov, Kyuchyuk, who is the rapporteur in the European Parliament for North Macedonia, removed from the draft report on the country's progress towards the EU amendment 18, which includes all bilateral issues between Skopje and Sofia.

"From this rostrum, MPs like Toshko Yordanov speak open lies without referring to facts," answered the leader of MRF Mustafa Karadaya.

Meanwhile, the German Bundestag voted that Skopje should amend the constitution of North Macedonia as agreed with Bulgaria and recognize the Bulgarian minority in order to speed up the country's EU integration. The decision of the ruling coalition in Germany explicitly recognizes the existence of the Macedonian language, culture and identity. 

Bulgaria's MEP Andrey Kovatchev defined the decision of the Bundestag as a strange phenomenon. "I have not heard of another similar phenomenon on our planet, where a country is so insecure about its identity, language and culture that it has to ask another country through a political decision of a legislative body to recognize its language, culture and identity. Our colleagues, neighbours and friends in Skopje should not worry about having a modern identity, language and culture, but I understand that they want to show some historical continuity or historical continuity that is different from the Bulgarian one. This is the basis of our problem, that's where discrimination and hate speech come from, and all the problems we have. These are not bilateral problems, these are problems related to basic human rights and European values," says Kovatchev.



Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Father of 12-year-old Siyana, who lost her life in a road accident, hands over resignation request to Supreme Court of Cassation Chairperson

Nikolai Popov - the father of 12-year-old Siyana, who lost her life in a heavy road accident, handed over to the Chairperson of the Supreme Court of Cassation Galina Zakharova a request from over 22 thousand people against corruption in the judicial..

published on 11/21/25 7:01 PM

Vice President for Europe of the American Jewish Committee in Sofia: Tolerance is part of the identity of Bulgarian society

The tolerance of the Bulgarian people, proven over the centuries, is a guarantee against xenophobia and anti-Semitism, which have no roots in our society. This was stated by President Rumen Radev at a meeting in Sofia with Anne-Sophie Sebban-Bécache ,..

published on 11/21/25 6:54 PM

Sofia prepares to host the 66th General Assembly of PABSEC

I expect that in Sofia, the parliamentarians from the member states of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation (PABSEC) will make forward-looking decisions that will support cooperation and the development of the countries in the..

published on 11/21/25 6:33 PM