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With regard to the question of what should be the position of principle of Bulgaria on the start of the negotiations of the Republic of North Macedonia for accession to the EU, public opinion is extremely categorical: 83.8% do not agree. Agreement with Bulgaria to support the Republic of North Macedonia for EU accession Agreement should be reached on events in Bulgaria’s historical past. This shows a nationally representative survey by Alpha Research, conducted among 803 people on the basis of a sample stratified by region and type of settlement and a selection of respondents by quota, reproducing the sociodemographic structure of the country.
The information was collected by telephone in the period from October 26 to 29. The contracting authority for the study is MEP Andrey Kovachev.
The survey aims to record the attitudes of Bulgarian citizens towards Bulgarian positions before the start of negotiations between the Republic of North Macedonia and the EU.
According to 10.2 per cent, Bulgaria should support him unconditionally, regardless of his attitude towards the events of our historical past. Only 5.9 percent have no opinion on the subject, which is an indicator of a high degree of certainty of opinion. On most controversial issues that Bulgaria sets as requirements for the Republic of North Macedonia to accept the start of negotiations, the Bulgarian public opinion is engaged, without sacrificing the historical past and dignity, but also without extremely radical positions, commented. analyzers. 54.1 percent support that Bulgaria recognizes the modern Macedonian identity, if the Republic of North Macedonia recognizes that at the beginning of the 20th century the vast majority of its population self-identifies as Bulgarian and the construction of a new “Macedonian national identity” begins after 1944, without affecting the citizens of Bulgaria and their ancestors. 29.5% defend the most extreme position that Bulgaria should not recognize the existence of a modern Macedonian identity at all, and 6% are in the opposite position: unconditional recognition of this identity.
The compromise positions regarding language are less pronounced. 42.4 percent believe that Bulgaria should recognize the existence of the Macedonian language only if the Republic of North Macedonia recognizes, respectively, that this language began to be created in 1944 on the basis of Western Bulgarian dialects. However, 45.5% believe that the existence of a separate Macedonian language should not be recognized. 4.5 percent are in favor of its unconditional recognition. 67.2% support Bulgaria to agree to start negotiations for the accession of the Republic of North Macedonia to the EU if it abandons the anti-Bulgarian base on which it builds its modern identity, denying the Bulgarian identity of revivalists like the brothers Miladinovi or revolutionaries like Gotse Delchev. . 15.8 percent are against and 17 percent have no opinion. 76.1 percent support that Bulgaria agrees to start negotiations for the membership of the Republic of North Macedonia in the EU, if it agrees to remove texts from textbooks and monuments that say “Bulgarian fascist occupier” about the Bulgarian administration during the WWII. 10.5 percent are against it, 13.4 percent do not have an opinion or are not interested in the issue. For its part, the forced Macedonianization of the population of the Pirin region during the period 1944-1948. finds as many negative evaluations as the attempt to deny the Bulgarian shyness of a part of the population of the present Republic of North Macedonia.
71.6 percent have a negative opinion of this policy, and define it as a forced change of the Bulgarian self-awareness of the people of the region. 10.2 percent consider it correct, assuming the position that Macedonian self-awareness should have been formed. Almost a fifth are unfamiliar with this process and cannot express an attitude. The general conclusion that can be reached from the survey is that Bulgarian public opinion does not share claims or negativity towards the self-determination of the modern Macedonian state and supports its European path, Alpha Research commented.
At the same time, it is very negative towards the substitution of historical facts, the manipulative formation of anti-Bulgarian sentiments and on this basis – the aggravation of relations between the two countries. Although there are some more radical feelings about the language and identity of the citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia, most Bulgarians support the search for a compromise, sociologists say. However, support for an unconditional “green light” for the Republic of North Macedonia’s membership in the EU is very weak, without clarifying key controversial issues, analysts say.
Among the conclusions drawn on the basis of the survey is that there is a serious deterioration of the image of the Republic of North Macedonia among Bulgarian citizens. If ten years ago it was considered one of the closest and best-neighbor countries to the Balkans, now only 21.9 percent of adult Bulgarians define it as such. There are twice as many people who consider Romania the most benevolent of our neighbors (41.5 percent), followed by Greece (37.1 percent). Third place, but with a much smaller share, 23 percent, is held by Turkey. Twenty-two percent consider Serbia close and benevolent, with the Republic of North Macedonia ranking last with 21.9 percent.
A similar study conducted by the agency a year ago showed almost identical attitudes towards neighboring countries, with the Republic of North Macedonia once again being viewed more negatively. Obviously, disputes over history, language, identity, minorities and the anti-Bulgarian campaign in the Republic of North Macedonia have had a lasting negative impact on Bulgarian public opinion, Alpha Research commented. They point out that almost a fifth (19 percent) affirm that there are people of their kind with roots in the geographical area of Macedonia, that is. Despite the fact that many people feel close and connected to this country, the campaign he is leading towards Bulgaria is seriously eroding his image. According to the data, only 9.2 percent of respondents believe that in the past the population of the current Republic of North Macedonia did not identify as Bulgarian. According to the vast majority, 79.3 percent, it is a manipulation of historical facts.
Sociologists point out that this position is shared almost equally in different age groups, educational and social, as well as regardless of whether the respondents have some kind of people from this area or not. It is also important that this assessment does not lead to a desire to reconsider modern realities, but it is a sharp reaction against the exchange of historical facts and the creation of anti-Bulgarian sentiment in our neighbor, “Alpha Research” noted. They emphasize that opinion polls cannot resolve historical disputes or replace political and diplomatic contacts between two countries, but are a very important indicator of how relations between two peoples, especially neighbors, are developing. support for certain policies of national governments and the adoption / rejection of principles on the basis of which to build inter-state relations.
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