Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 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

National Statistical Institute: Bulgarians aged 25 to 44 travel most

One million and eight hundred Bulgarian citizens travelled as tourists during the third quarter of the year, National Statistical Institute data show. 72.3% of them travelled inside the country, 20.8% travelled abroad and 6.9% - both inside Bulgaria..

published on 11/22/24 12:09 PM
Rumen Radev at the business forum in Singapore

Rumen Radev in Singapore: Investing in people and partnership are the key to the future

“Investing in people, education, innovations and technologies is the key to success in the future,” said President Rumen Radev at the opening of the business forum in Singapore, in which representatives of companies from Bulgaria and Singapore are..

published on 11/22/24 10:17 AM
European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson

European Commissioner Ylva Johansson is optimistic about Bulgaria and Romania’s entering the Schengen Area by land soon

“It’s time to lift internal border controls now,” European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson believes. In an interview with RFE/RL she said she was optimistic about Austria’s decision. Asked what the arguments are for blocking the..

published on 11/22/24 9:45 AM