Bulgaria’s Eurovision victory with DARA has triggered a sharp political exchange in North Macedonia, where both government and opposition figures have turned the singer’s success into part of the ongoing dispute over relations with Sofia, OFFNews reports.
For a second consecutive day, politicians in Skopje traded accusations connected to the Bulgarian win, exposing once again how deeply tensions with Bulgaria continue to shape domestic political rhetoric in North Macedonia.
The latest clash began after Venko Filipce, leader of the opposition Social Democratic Union of Macedonia (SDSM), mocked the ruling VMRO-DPMNE over what he portrayed as its closeness to Bulgaria. In a public message, Filipce sarcastically suggested that the government should organize an official reception for DARA because, according to him, the ruling party already had experience staging media events and welcoming controversial figures.
“VMRO can organize DARA’s reception. They already have the cameras, protocol and red carpet,” Filipce wrote, also referencing previous political scandals involving former deputy prime minister Artan Grubi. He further accused the government of celebrating Bulgaria’s success while, in his words, North Macedonia remained politically isolated. Filipce ended his remarks with an ironic “Congratulations, Hristijan,” directed at Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski.
The statement quickly provoked a furious response from VMRO-DPMNE. Speaking from the party headquarters, Valentin Manasievski, member of the party’s Central Committee and secretary of its youth organization, launched a direct attack on Filipce, repeatedly labeling him “anti-Macedonian.”
According to Manasievski, Filipce’s reaction to Bulgaria’s Eurovision victory demonstrated excessive willingness to please Sofia. “Filipce is so anti-Macedonian that he celebrated Bulgaria’s victory just to flatter them further,” the ruling party representative declared.
Manasievski argued that the issue was not musical taste or support for a neighboring country, but rather Bulgaria’s stance toward Macedonian identity. “The problem is that the country he celebrates denies our identity,” he stated, accusing Filipce of refusing to condemn what VMRO-DPMNE described as insults coming from Bulgarian officials.
The governing party representative also revisited one of the most divisive political questions in North Macedonia – constitutional amendments connected to the inclusion of Bulgarians in the country’s constitution, a key Bulgarian demand tied to Skopje’s EU accession path. According to Manasievski, Filipce would immediately support such amendments despite fears in North Macedonia that Sofia could later introduce additional conditions.
“Sofia openly says the constitutional changes are not their final demand, but Filipce would still amend the constitution tomorrow,” he said.
The VMRO-DPMNE official went even further, alleging that Filipce was politically compromised because of his links to former Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and claiming he was acting under pressure from Bulgarian political circles. He also predicted further political decline for SDSM, arguing that the opposition party had lost public confidence and could fall even lower in future elections.
“Fortunately for the citizens, Filipce will not come to power,” Manasievski said, insisting that SDSM had already dropped to fourth place politically and that its leader could eventually disappear from public life altogether.
The exchange highlights how even a Eurovision victory has become entangled in the broader political and historical dispute between Bulgaria and North Macedonia, where issues of national identity, EU integration and relations with Sofia continue to dominate political debate on both sides of the border.