Former German Europe Minister Michael Roth condemned the newly formed Bulgarian Government for its hardline position against Macedonia. Roth is an official of the German SPD party, which is allied with the Bulgarian BSP, a party to which current Prime Minister Rumen Radev belonged.

Bulgaria’s stupid obstruction of (North) Macedonia’s EU path is irresponsible and must stop. It weakens the EU, destabilizes the Western Balkans, and only benefits Russia, China, and other authoritarian actors. The new Bulgarian government should be ashamed, Roth wrote on his X account, sharing comments from the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry that the new Government will continue to demand that Macedonia includes the Bulgarian minority in its Constitution before it can begin EU accession talks.