The Bulgarian veto is unjustified and unfortunately the nationalist abuse of the power of an EU member state, says Luxembourgian professor and political scientist Florian Bieber commenting on the latest Bulgarian veto to the opening of EU negotiations with North Macedonia at last week’s summit of EU leaders.
In many ways, it is even more outrageous than the Greek veto because it vetoes Macedonia after having supported it for years, not having objected to earlier policies and having signed a friendship agreement, he tells MIA in an interview.
Bieber, who is a professor of Southeast European History and Politics and Director of the Centre for Southeast European Studies at the University of Graz, Austria, will take part in the first international conference as part of the Prespa Forum Dialogue “Western Balkans: The missing puzzle for completing Europe”, due on July 1-2 in Ohrid and Oteshevo. The event is organized by the Foreign Ministry.
Bieber believes the Skopje and Sofia could settle the dispute after Bulgaria’s July 11 elections and until the Slovenian summit with the Western Balkans in October, stressing it will depend on the outcome of the Bulgaria elections.
