The MEP from the Bulgarian ruling party GERB Andrej Kovachev attacked verbally the Macedonian President Stevo Pendarovski due to his statement that “taking Bulgarian passports because of personal interest is in the same historical context during which Goce Delchev in 1900 couldn’t state that he is something else but Bulgarian.” Kovachev said that the president’s statement is insulting including for the Macedonian Bulgarians and their ancestors who lived in those countries and today’s Macedonian Bulgarians.
Kovachev said that Bulgaria doesn’t want to change the Macedonians’ ethnic self-determination because they have their right to do so but it is no good for them to deny and manipulate the history of their ancestors.
Otherwise, President Pendarovski caused controversy in Macedonia and positive reactions in Bulgaria (including the MEP Andrej Kovachev) in June, when in the Alsat’s TV show 360 he said that Goce Delchev has declared himself to be Bulgarian but he fought for a sovereign Macedonian state.
