Vigenin: North Macedonia must secure the support of Bulgarian citizens for EU membership

Kristian Vigenin, a Bulgarian MEP from the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats group, believes that North Macedonia must win the support of Bulgarian citizens if it aims to become part of the European Union.

In a statement for BNT, Vigenin said that visits by representatives of the Republic of North Macedonia to European capitals and their efforts to find ways to the European Parliament are not enough. According to him, they must secure the support of Bulgarian citizens and not treat this issue as unimportant.

The MEP referred to the results of a survey he had commissioned from the local agency “Myara”. The data, according to him, show that Bulgarians generally support EU enlargement, but do not have the same attitude toward each of the candidate countries.

Vigenin explained that positive opinions are more widespread, with the exceptions being Macedonia and, in particular, Ukraine, toward which a more negative attitude is observed.

He also stressed that relations between Bulgaria and Macedonia in recent years have not only not calmed down or normalized, but have moved in the opposite direction.

For this reason, according to Vigenin, Macedonia must work to change the perception that exists of it in Bulgaria.