The Macedonian Minority in Bulgaria

[EgejskaMakedonia]

Seems like it's time to send Johnny Howard and his crew over to Bulgaria to introduce the baby bonus!

[lavce pelagonski]

Bulgarian Passports

Macedonian Hopes to Make It to Premiership with Bulgarian Passport

Goran Popov, a Macedonian football player, hopes to get a permit to work in the UK thanks to his Bulgarian passport, in what has been described by Macedonian media as a "scandal".

Popov's on-off move to Stoke City could be back on again because he has a Bulgarian passport, the Staffordshire web portal has reported, adding that as Bulgaria is a member of the EU, the document allows Popov to enter England and reside there but not work.

For that, he needs permission from the UK Border Agency and the club is now awaiting an answer for his request. That leaves Popov's proposed season-long loan move from Dynamo Kiev in limbo, the report says.

But his hopes appear to have grown since last week when the 27-year-old left-back feared his dream move to the Premier League was heading for complete collapse.

Some Macedonian media have used the word "scandal" to described the case, as, apparently, it was not publicly known that Popov holds Bulgarian citizenship.

A rising number of Slavic Macedonians – deemed in Sofia to be ethnic Bulgarians, at least "historically', are applying for and receiving Bulgarian citizenship – based on their claiming of ethnic Bulgarian origin – a development that infuriates the official authorities in the Macedonian capital Skopje, as it erodes the Macedonian national identity that has been developed to be distinct from the Bulgarian identity during the communist period.

The Staffordshire news portal explains that the Macedonian international believed any application for a work permit would fail because his country has recently dropped in FIFA's world rankings to 102.

One of the FA's criteria for accepting players who require a visa to enter England is that their own country are ranked at 70 or better.

But the existence of a Bulgarian passport could help Popov by-pass those criteria if the UK Border Agency back his request to work, the Staffordshire news site reports.

Popov, who played against Stoke in the Europa League last season, has already trained with his prospective new club after arriving here 10 days ago determined to win his first crack at Premier League football.

Speaking last week, when he believed the deal was heading for the rocks, he said: "I wanted to play against Arsenal, and also against Manchester City and Chelsea. I wanted to play against the big teams – this was my dream."

[lavce pelagonski]

This is from a Bulgarian site so the language is vulgar but the main issue is the Bulgarian passports. Nothing can justify this on ly the fact that Bulgaria is in the EU

[Phoenix]

LP, you're a habitual offender when it comes to promoting anti-Macedonian propaganda from the bulgars...the passport issue has been done to death already, the bulgars are known fascists prone to all manner of delusion and who gives a fuck about some shit-kicker with said passport....

Stop giving them free press.

[lavce pelagonski]

Phoenix relax ok.
The only thing anti-Macedonian is the guy with the passport, I think that it is important to know who is giving up their identity to go play soccer in the UK.

[United MKD]

Don't blame Popov tbh, when half of Macedonians have Bulgarian passports why not Popov who has only one chance to play in the most prestigious leage of all - the Premier League. It's not his fault we are ranked 102nd in the world and this is the only way it is going to work, unfortunately.

[Risto the Great]

Don't blame Popov tbh, when half of Macedonians have Bulgarian passports why not Popov who has only one chance to play in the most prestigious leage of all - the Premier League. It's not his fault we are ranked 102nd in the world and this is the only way it is going to work, unfortunately.

But then this is the same logic that applies to Macedonians who work in the "Premier league of toilet cleaners" in the UK etc. with their Bulgarian passports as well. What is the difference UMKD?

[George S.]

guys don't give lame excuses"Macedonian Hopes to Make It to Premiership with Bulgarian Passport".Is there anything that macedonians won't do.He doesn't give jack shit about his identity.It's like sellin out your heart & soul.It's just a poor excuse to do what is not right.
Look has anyone seen the bulgarians were even offering free passports you don't need even to be born in bulgaria.So look at what you get a new identity or is it to the ones that were allready bulgarofile mindsets.As i said they don't care as long as they got food on the table ,they don;t care for the country macedonia.

[United MKD]

But then this is the same logic that applies to Macedonians who work in the "Premier league of toilet cleaners" in the UK etc. with their Bulgarian passports as well. What is the difference UMKD?

In a way there is no difference but I bet 99% of all Macedonians including in this forum, that if they were in Popov's shoes would do the exact same thing - try to find an avenue to complete the deal to play in England. He tried and failed getting a visa because of our low ranking so next option is using a Bulgarian passport. I'm not saying it's right but when you're Macedonian you have to deal with this sort of crap.

Gledate kako poleka erodira nasiot identitet, malku po malku nekoj ne jadat ili vo odredeni instanci sami se jademe.

[Phoenix]

Don't blame Popov tbh, when half of Macedonians have Bulgarian passports why not Popov who has only one chance to play in the most prestigious leage of all - the Premier League. It's not his fault we are ranked 102nd in the world and this is the only way it is going to work, unfortunately.

I prefer the 'other half' that don't sell their identity like some useless commodity...the vast majority of the World don't play in the EPL either...get on with it.

I doubt if Popov is totally immune from the criticism surrounding Macedonia's football ranking...clearly he has no 'respect' for the country he represents...btw, can you represent Macedonia if you're the passport holder of a foreign country?

I reckon its a fuckin disgrace and I can't believe people are lining up to justify the actions of this self loathing bastard.

[Momce Makedonce]

Really?? He is actually willing to do that?? I was looking forward to seeing him play in the best league in the world but not at that cost. He obviously does not have a lot of self respect. His not the first one and wont be the last one either. Its a bit of a common trait for the modern Macedonians to not care at all, seen it myself.

[United MKD]

btw, can you represent Macedonia if you're the passport holder of a foreign country?

Yeah, I'd say alot of our internationals have dual passports. Some that I know is Pandev has an Italian passport, Lazevski, Todorovski, Ristic and Djurovski have Serb, Georgievski has an Aussie passport, Demiri has a Swiss and I'm sure there are a few more who hold Bulgarian passports that we do not know of atm.

[Risto the Great]

Reasons why Macedonia can't have normal relations with Bulgaria

http://macedoniaonline.eu/content/view/21987/49/

Although one can certainly come up with several fold more reasons why Skopje and Sofia have not been able to normalize their relations, here are ten that come to mind right from the start.

1. Macedonians at home spent majority of their WW2 fighting against Bulgarian soldiers. Macedonian partisans engaged the Germans mostly in major battles outside of Macedonia, in other parts of the then Yugoslavia.

2. In 1913 Macedonia was split in 3 parts (Vardar, Pirin, Aegean). Due to the split, the remains of one of the greatest Macedonian revolutionaries Goce Delcev (died 1903) found itself on the 'other' side, in present Bulgaria. Official Sofia in 1946 sent Delcev's remains to the rightful owners, the Government of Macedonia in Skopje. Today official Sofia claims him as "Bulgarian". Why give him up if he is your own, and equally important, why claim him 60 years later?

3. Bulgaria while protecting their Jewish minority, was responsible for rounding up and sending to concentration camps the Jewish population from Macedonia and Thrace (present Greece). Macedonia lost 98% of its Jewish population. All of the gold, art and jewelry was stolen by Bulgarian soldiers and sent to Sofia. Just a fortnight ago (October 7th), Jewish leaders from Israel told the Bulgarian Government in Sofia that "saving your own Jews but murdering others still makes you a murderer". There goes Sofia's hope that everyone has amnesia.

4. Official Bulgarian census in 1946 listed 252,908 Macedonians living in Bulgaria. Official census in 1956 somehow listed less, 187,789 ethnic Macedonians, concentrated in the Pirin region. In 2011, official Sofia counted 1,600 Macedonians! For the next census, Sofia will follow Athens and claim it has no minorities.

5. When visiting Bulgaria, in particularly major holiday destinations , one is able to view dozens of TV channels from all of Bulgaria's neighbors. The only channels missing (scrambled) are those from Macedonia.

6. Just like in Greece, Bulgaria too does not allow Macedonians to register a political party and take part in Parliament elections. The Macedonians have taken Bulgaria to Human Rights court in Strasbourg twice, won both times, but still cannot register their party.

7. Bulgaria first recognized Macedonia, at the same time did not recognize the language which automatically created tensions between the two countries.

8. Bulgaria wanted to help Macedonia during the Greek embargo and opened its port in Burgas to Macedonian companies. This nice gesture was conditioned - official Skopje must stop its communication with Macedonians in Bulgaria.

9. After 2000, Bulgaria decided to create a "minority" in Macedonia, Serbia, Moldavia (even Albania) by issuing passports and citizenships to Macedonians. According to Macedonians and Serbs who have received Bulgarian passports, the entire procedure was done in less than two months involving little to no documentation at all.

10. A typical court case of divorced parents seeking a custody of their daughter turned into a circus case because the mother (Spaska Mitrova) had recently received a Bulgarian passport. Mitrova's new passport meant the bombastic arrival of two dozen journalists from Sofia at a small court house in Gevgelija to cover the case and cheer on Spaska Mitrova.

[makedonche]

RTG
It's a bit short isn't it?........several thousand other reasins still missing!

[George S.]

the bulgarians aren't as stupid as the macedonians.The bulgarians know how to preserve their soveregnity by keeping the minorities in control.Something the macedonians can't do.
Macedonia having normal relations with bulgaria? when did it ever have good relations.Bulgaria had allways irrendist claims on the whole of macedonia.