Bulgarian Veto: Outcome Known Even Before General Affairs Council

Bulgaria hasn’t given up on the veto for the negotiating framework on Macedonia. The outcome was known even before the start of Tuesday’s meeting of the General Affairs Council. The news was announced by German Minister for Europe Michael Roth, who described it as a severe “political mistake” by a country with bilateral demands. He added that the country didn’t have the support from the other EU members. Despite the failure, the German politician said ministers would nonetheless discuss enlargement. According to him, Germany is doing everything it can in order for, as soon as possible, compromise to be reached and the intergovernmental conference with Macedonia to be held and, after the meeting of some additional conditions, with Albania as well. As Roth added, everything else will be a severe political mistake at the expense of the Western Balkans’ stability and security, which will severely endanger the security of Europe, too. “Everyone should be aware of that,” he pointed out. The Government described the veto as an irresponsible geostrategic mistake, adding that the future of the country was European. There is small hope that something will be changed at the meeting of PMs and Presidents on Thursday, but there shouldn’t be giving up, according to Deputy PM for European Affairs Nikola Dimitrov and Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani.