Tubegraph

Historical and cultural identity issues between Bulgaria and North Macedonia

7 min read

From: jameskerlindsay

In June 2021, Bulgaria once again blocked the initiation of European Union accession talks with neighbouring North Macedonia, escalating a long-standing dispute centered on history and language [00:00:00]. This issue, often seen as petty, highlights the significant role identity plays in international relations [00:00:14].

Defining Nationhood

Unlike a state, which confers citizenship, the concept of nationhood is more fluid, linking people through shared language, history, and culture [00:00:36]. Sometimes, a single nation may span two states [00:00:46], or peoples who once shared bonds may come to view themselves as distinct [00:00:51]. The disagreement between Bulgaria and North Macedonia is a contemporary example where one group views another as part of a single nation, while the other asserts a separate identity [00:01:03]. This dispute is currently derailing North Macedonia’s path toward EU membership [00:01:17].

Geographical and Demographic Context

Both Bulgaria and North Macedonia are located in Southeast Europe [00:01:27].

  • Bulgaria: Covers 110,000 square kilometres (around 40,000 square miles), making it the 103rd largest UN member out of 193 [00:01:30]. Its population is approximately 7 million [00:01:50].
  • North Macedonia: To Bulgaria’s immediate west, it spans 26,000 square kilometres (10,000 square miles), making it the 145th largest UN member [00:01:40]. Its population is estimated at 2.1 million, based on a 2002 census [00:01:54].

Both nations are predominantly Slavic-speaking Christian Orthodox [00:02:02], but also have significant non-Slavic Muslim minorities [00:02:08]. In Bulgaria, ethnic Turks constitute about 9% of the population [00:02:13], while in North Macedonia, ethnic Albanians are thought to comprise around 35% [00:02:17]. The core of the current dispute lies in their increasingly divergent interpretations of the past and ethnolinguistic origins [00:02:29].

Historical Origins of the Dispute

The story largely begins with the decline of the Ottoman Empire in the late 19th century [00:02:43].

  • 1878 Treaty of Berlin: Established the Principality of Bulgaria as an autonomous state within the Ottoman Empire [00:02:50].
  • Bulgarian Territorial Claims: The nascent Bulgarian state claimed several neighbouring areas still under Ottoman rule, including Thrace and Macedonia [00:02:59].
  • Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organization (VMRO): Emerged in the 1890s, dedicated to the liberation of the Macedonian region [00:03:14]. However, Macedonia was also claimed by neighbouring Greece and Serbia [00:03:24].
  • Balkan Wars and World War I:
    • In 1912, Bulgaria allied with Greece, Serbia, and Montenegro to expel the Ottomans from Europe [00:03:29]. Bulgaria gained Thrace but only a small part of Macedonia, with the majority taken by Greek and Serb forces [00:03:38].
    • During World War I, Bulgaria sided with Germany and captured the Serbian-held part of Macedonia, but this control was short-lived, with Serbia retaking the region in September 1918 [00:03:52].
  • Interwar Period and World War II: The area became part of the newly established Kingdom of Yugoslavia [00:04:06]. Despite this, Bulgaria maintained claims, again occupying most of Serbian Macedonia and parts of Greek Macedonia during World War II by siding with Nazi Germany [00:04:14]. This control also proved temporary [00:04:25].

Yugoslavia’s Influence on Macedonian Identity

The Second World War marked a crucial turning point, as the northern part of Macedonia gained autonomy rather than being reintegrated into Serbia [00:04:34]. It became the Socialist Republic of Macedonia, one of the six constituent republics of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia [00:04:46].

  • Fostering a Distinct Identity: In the subsequent years, a deliberate effort was made to foster a distinct Macedonian identity, emphasizing a separate history, language, and culture from neighbouring Bulgaria [00:04:55].
  • Language Recognition: In the 1970s, Macedonian, though mutually intelligible with Bulgarian, was officially registered as a separate language by the United Nations [00:05:10].

Independence and the Dispute with Greece

This sense of nationhood became prominent with the disintegration of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s [00:05:20].

  • Declaration of Independence: On September 8, 1991, Socialist Macedonia voted to become a separate sovereign state, the Republic of Macedonia [00:05:26].
  • Name Dispute with Greece: This immediately triggered a dispute with Greece, which accused the new country of harbouring territorial claims against its own region of Macedonia [00:05:37]. Athens blocked its membership in several organizations, including the European Union, until a new name was agreed [00:05:46].
  • Prespa Agreement (2018): After nearly 30 years of UN mediation, Athens and Skopje reached an agreement in June 2018 [00:05:55]. The Republic of Macedonia (or FYROM, as it was known at the UN) officially became the Republic of North Macedonia [00:06:03]. This agreement was widely seen as paving the way for the country to open European Union accession talks [00:06:14].

The Bulgarian-North Macedonian Identity Dispute

The jubilation was short-lived, as another identity dispute, this time with Bulgaria, emerged [00:06:28].

  • Core of the Dispute: Unlike Greece, Bulgaria did not dispute the country’s name or the existence of a Macedonian state; in fact, Bulgaria was the first country to recognize the Republic of Macedonia [00:06:39]. Instead, Bulgaria disputed the existence of a separate Macedonian nation [00:06:53].
  • Bulgarian Perspective: Bulgaria views the Slavic population of Macedonia as part of the broader Bulgarian nation and considers the Macedonian language a dialect of Bulgarian [00:06:58].
  • Macedonian Constitution Clause: Relations were further strained by a clause in the Macedonian Constitution allowing the country to protect the interests of Macedonians living in neighbouring states [00:07:09]. Bulgaria interpreted this as a potential pretext for interference in its domestic affairs or even a territorial claim [00:07:20].

Attempts at Resolution and Renewed Tensions

  • 1999 Joint Declaration: The two countries signed an 11-point joint declaration in 1999, which appeared to settle the matter [00:07:34]. Macedonia formally renounced any claim to Bulgaria’s territory and clarified its constitution could not be interpreted as a basis for interfering in Bulgaria’s internal affairs [00:07:42]. Bulgaria seemingly settled the language issue by explicitly acknowledging the declaration was concluded in “Bulgarian and Macedonian” [00:07:58].
  • Resurgence of Nationalism: Despite the agreement, tensions continued. A nationalist government in Macedonia intensified tensions with both Bulgaria and Greece [00:08:08]. The Museum of the Macedonian Struggle, for example, presented Bulgaria in a negative light [00:08:20].
  • Disputes over Historical Figures: The countries engaged in an acrimonious dispute over the national identity of key VMRO members, such as Gotse Delchev [00:08:30].
  • Bulgaria’s EU Leverage: Bulgaria, which joined the European Union in 2007 [00:08:43], began threatening to block Macedonia’s EU accession talks unless these points of difference were resolved [00:08:49].

Recent Political Developments

  • 2017 Friendship Treaty: In 2017, a more moderate government in Macedonia eased tensions, signing a friendship treaty on August 1, 2017 [00:09:04]. This treaty recognized each other’s territorial integrity and established a joint commission to address historical differences [00:09:12].
  • Lack of Progress and Bulgarian Demands: However, little progress was made. In October 2019, the Bulgarian government issued over 20 demands that had to be met before it would permit EU accession talks with North Macedonia [00:09:20]. It also advised the EU to stop referring to the “Macedonian language,” suggesting “the official language of the Republic of North Macedonia” instead [00:09:35].
  • 2020 Veto: A year later, Sofia vetoed the start of membership negotiations with North Macedonia [00:09:45]. This move, widely seen as driven by narrow nationalist reasons, was heavily criticized by Bulgaria’s European partners [00:09:56].
  • North Macedonia’s Stance: Skopje reacted with anger, with Deputy Prime Minister Nikola Dimitrov stating, “Who we are is our business. It’s a question for the Macedonian people. We think that this should by no means be a precondition for our European future” [00:10:13].
  • Continued Stalemate: In the following six months, despite a change in the Bulgarian government and last-minute negotiations, no breakthrough was achieved [00:10:31]. On June 22, 2021, Bulgaria again blocked the opening of formal EU accession talks [00:10:53].
  • International Criticism: Bulgaria has lost public relations battle and EU patience has run out [00:11:01]. A European diplomat described Bulgaria’s stance as “incomprehensible, indefensible and destabilises the Western Balkans” [00:11:08].

The Enduring Identity Question

The dispute raises complex questions about national identity [00:11:22].

  • Bulgaria’s View: Bulgaria accepts the existence of a sovereign state of North Macedonia, despite historical claims and efforts to seize its territory in the early 20th century [00:11:30]. However, it cannot accept the notion of a distinct Macedonian national identity [00:11:45]. Sofia believes that Macedonian identity emerged as a deliberate Yugoslav policy to demonize Bulgaria, and that Slavic Macedonians are “really and truly Bulgarians” [00:11:53].
  • North Macedonia’s View: Macedonians assert their own separate national identity that demands acknowledgment and respect [00:12:10].
  • Irony: Paradoxically, Bulgaria’s current actions are seen as doing more than anything to cement that very Macedonian identity it denies [00:12:22].

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