My thought was to write about some other small things from our daily politics, when here the daily politics forced me to write about the even more small Yotova. So today, I am writing in the context of the daily politics in Macedonia, in which she got involved by assignment.

I knew that I would have to write about her and her deliberate provocation. As a matter of fact, my dear fellow citizens, I was present when Jotova said everything that she later announced just in time to get where she needed to be and at the right time to realize the goals of another power center. Not Sofia’s.

A week ago (on Monday) a solemn and scientific celebration was held on the occasion of 100 years since the establishment of the Macedonian Scientific Institute (MSI). The event took place in the hall of the Rectorate of Sofia University. In short, MSI was formed in Sofia in 1923 by Macedonian intellectuals who emigrated from Macedonia to Bulgaria. Its members are a plethora of Macedonian intellectuals (even members of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences), members of VMRO, fighters for autonomous Macedonia, scientific workers, university professors, all those natives of Macedonia regardless of their political-ideological affiliation, who after the uprisings in the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, the Balkan Wars and the First World War fled from Macedonia to Bulgaria. However, they never never forgot or abandoned the idea of freedom and statehood for ​​Macedonia. Basically, MSI is a scientific institution that during the period from 1923 to 1947 dealt with science, ethnology and politics related to Macedonia, with the goal of keeping the Macedonian issue alive while keeping the various Macedonian societies and their activities functioning. In this period, MSI financed itself, that is, MSI is was financed by the Macedonians, establishing the Macedonian People Bank and the Macedonian Cooperative Bank. They built the Macedonian House as its headquarters, which still exists today in Sofia. The remains of Gotse Delchev were kept in the MSI, which were transferred from there to Macedonia. In 1947, the MSI dissolved itself and the entire archive including the scientific reviews, historical records, eleven books by Ljubomir Miletic from the memoirs of the dukes, the members, and founders of VMRO, the ethnological set and other movable objects. According to the minutes all these artifacts were handed over to Macedonia and brought to Skopje by Ljuben Lape. Later, some were deposited in the archives of the National Academy of Sciences and Arts and some in the State Archives of Macedonia, where they are still today. In 1990, on the initiative of professors from Sofia University originally from Macedonia, the MSI was re-established, but this time under the patronage of the Bulgarian state. The fact that we as Macedonia and our National History Institute (NHI) did not participate in this event was officially due to our “problems”. Yet, for me it was not a problem to attend the centenary event which has historical significance, above all for us Macedonians.

It was precisely at this hallowed centenary that Jotova spoke as a representative of the Bulgarian state. Listening to the speech, it was immediately clear to me that Jotova was abusing the event in order to promote a daily policy. It is not strange that a minor politician and would want to elevate themselves with an audience and at the same time do their job. After all, we are used to such statements and provocative speeches even in Macedonia. The main purpose of the speech was to create enough fuel to reignite a debate about what had already been said. In fact, I immediately told my colleagues from the Ministry of Education and the University of Sofia that this political speech aims to fuel similar speeches in Macedonia, and I was obviously right. Yotova did not wait for the end of the protocol, the solemn part of the ceremony of congratulations and speeches, and instead left. But not before unloading what she had intended and delivering the premium fuel as a refinery to Gazprom, from which the rest of the haters of the Macedonian and Bulgarian people now have in order to fill up. You simply need to put in the “nozzle” and charge it, of course to the end, so that it lasts. Yotova accomplished the task that she had really come to do at this event. Its purpose was not to mark the centenary of MSI with dignity, but to use the opportunity for a political speech and, of course, to work for “Gazprom”.

Already at the first break, I reacted in the conversations with my colleagues from Bulgaria, and almost without exception (the exception being the civil servants who remained silent for professional reasons), everyone as an academic public agreed with my statement that Yotova’s politically tendentious speech would cause reactions from her partners in Macedonia, providing fuel to all those who can’t wait to fill up at its gas station, a branch of Gazprom. I even heard a very vivid description of Yotova as a “Cook without salt”. What more can one say? Whether it was the first or the last time, what should we say about Yotova, when everything is clear to those in Bulgaria? It is clear that no one takes her seriously, so I recommend that we, as the Macedonian public, not react to her nonsense. Because this lend-lease of fuel will last. It will last until it disables and paralyzes any attempt at cooperation and normalization of Bulgarian-Macedonian or Macedonian-Bulgarian relations. However, I am convinced that it will not succeed. It is all about maintaining tensions in order to buy time and prevent Macedonia from starting negotiations for EU membership. And why is it important to start negotiations with the EU? It is important precisely for the reason that it is not loaded by Gazprom’s nozzles. It may sound mundane to you, and it is mundane, which is why I’m trying to use a metaphor to explain to you what geopolitically awaits us as Macedonian people and for Macedonia.

Yotova has a task which, even as it is, bland without salt, she does it most vulgarly. But it is not important, it is only bland and useful for “someone”. Exactly the same as those from our side, and there are those (Mickoski, Apasiev, Dimitrievski) who were waiting for the delivery of the poisonous fuel to the gas station of Gazprom in order to fill themselves with a narrative of hatred towards Bulgaria and to have an excuse for it in the narrative of their partner Jotova. Next time it’s their turn to go first. That is, they deliver the toxic fuel. They are useful for someone. But not for Bulgaria and Macedonia, nor for our partnership in NATO and the EU. Nor for our future.

The consequences are day-to-day political, but hey go much deeper. Mostly by taking away precious time, which is running short, and the last chance for Macedonia to survive as a state, and the Macedonian people as a nation in European history and above all, in the future. A future in which, through EU membership as a geopolitical actor, Macedonia will be protected.

I am somehow convinced that this provocation had something to do with the overlapping of two events. First, on the visit of Rosen Zheljazkov, who as the President of the Bulgarian Assembly came to Macedonia in a good faith attempt to normalize Bulgarian-Macedonian relations. It is the part of calculations in the political scene in Bulgaria, and in that context Osmani’s statement is completely correct. I will mention one fact, I have already said this once, that the partner for Macedonia in Bulgaria is the Bulgarian government; not the obscure bland characters whose statements I apologize that I even had to comment on or give them space in a column. The Bulgarian government does not show hostility towards Macedonia and at least we have not heard anything negative from this government beyond what was agreed upon and covered in the so-called French agreement. Secondly, according to the time of publication in the Macedonian media, it is in order to deal with Jotova’s nonsense, and not with the new items of the “blacklist” of the USA and what it means. Exactly here lies the main problem for Macedonia, for our entire society, with the answer to the question of who is on the blacklist and what message is being sent to us as citizens. The message was sent to both Zaev and Mickoski, according to the principle called “I’m telling you, daughter, remember your daughter-in-law”. That’s why Mickoski will argue with Kamchev and Samsonenko, while Zaev will struggle to be a joint candidate for the president of Macedonia proposed by the “European Front”, while avoiding Daka Davidovic in his CV. However, we all know very well that in the last six-seven years there is nothing related to money and suspicious criminal businesses that is not in some way related to Zaev or people close to Zaev (even the business with the Delchev fields). At the same time, according to the US explanation, these people are connected to Russia and pose a danger according to Executive Orders 14033 and 14024, which I already wrote about a long time ago and announced to you what will follow in relation to these two Executive Orders and the Magnitsky and RICO laws. After all, these reactions of the US administration related to the Executive Orders are precisely aimed at preventing the unloading of fuel at Gazprom gas stations and their daily political use in the region. Again, you do not take offense from the advice from the US administration. Remember, from the beginning, the US is our strategic partner that has given countless financial resources from its taxpayers to help us stand on our feet as a state, a people, and a nation. Though you persistently insult them in various ways, it is they who have endless patience with us.

So, my respected fellow party members, dear fellow citizens, in the attempt of the Mickoski-Zaev coalition partners to save themselves from what is inevitable- criminal responsibility and political collapse, and though it is extremely useful for Macedonia, they will simply try to distract us and pray that the people lose their focus. At the same time, their partners from Bulgaria will help them wholeheartedly because of the same principles and out of their own interest.

However, their strength is weakening despite the well-coordinated activities to fuel and continue the “conflict” between Macedonia and Bulgaria. Luckily for us there are enough normal, literate and understanding people on both sides. So, let’s be aware and not let them bring us into their vortex.

In the meantime, let Kovacevski enjoy himself in Belgrade. Of course, nothing can touch him here. He “knows” that he is guaranteed another mandate. You know how it is. When they make a promise to him, it’s like as if they they have made a promise in the Church. They have to fulfill it. However, I think that he is so well tied to the tree so that he will not fall. He knows that, and that is why he is so comfortable.

Christian, you are not comfortable, and you are not even tied to the real tree. Your legs are dangling, no matter how much you act in front of customers in the party of security or try to compensate by pumping politically poisonous fuel from Gazprom’s gas station. Wrong approach. The solution is right in front of your nose. All you have to do is to see it and be brave enough to step towards it.

 

Oliver Andonov