Bulgaria Backs Georgievski

Ljupcho Georgievski, former chairman of the dissolved Ivan Mihailov Cultural Club in Bitola, urged Bulgaria’s Parliament to act against the ongoing persecution of Bulgarians in North Macedonia. Speaking before the Committee on European Affairs, he described the pressures faced by the Bulgarian community, stating, "People are being persecuted and pressured. It’s hard to explain to someone who hasn’t lived there."

Georgievski, recently handed a 12-month suspended sentence by a Bitola court for quoting revolutionary Ivan Mihailov in standard Bulgarian, called the charges absurd and politically motivated. "It is an honor to be tried as a Bulgarian in North Macedonia," he said, CE Report quotes BTA

Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev and Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev also met with Georgievski earlier that day, along with Ambassador Zhelyazko Radukov and King Boris III Club secretary Hristian Pendikov.

All Bulgarian parliamentary parties expressed firm support for Georgievski and condemned the verdict. GERB-UDF, BSP, CC-DB, Vazrazhdane, MRF, and others pledged to amplify the issue in the EU.

CC leaders emphasized that North Macedonia’s EU talks will not proceed while such cases exist. “Anyone who identifies as Bulgarian must not be persecuted,” said Assen Vassilev.

In a closed-door session, the Committee also heard from Ambassador Radukov about the situation on the ground.