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.
