French president Emmanuel Macron personally commended the leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) Mustafa Karadayi and the entire party for the efficient moves in support of the European Union (EU) integration of Northern Macedonia and the whole region of the Western Balkans. Macron expressed his support during a meeting with Karadayi, which took place at the summit of European liberals in Brussels. The summit was attended by heads of states and governments, as well as chairs of parties of the European liberal family.
Straight after the vote of no confidence in the government of Kiril Petkov, the MRF submitted to parliament the proposal of the French presidency of the EU for a negotiating framework for Northern Macedonia. The proposal, if accepted, would allow the search of a solution to the impasse between Bulgaria and Northern Macedonia and would defend the Bulgarian national interest.
Mustafa Karadayi also conferred with the prime ministers of the Netherlands - Mark Rutte, of Belgium - Alexander de Croy, of Luxembourg - Xavier Bethel, of Estonia - Kaya Kallas, and of Ireland - Michel Martin.
The European integration of the Western Balkans was the main topic of Karadayi's bilateral meetings.
Today, at the Council of Liberals meeting, we received many greetings for the efforts we as MRF are making and for the actions of Bulgaria in relation with EU enlargement in the Western Balkans and Northern Macedonia in particular, Karadayi told a news conference for Bulgarian journalists held at the ALDE headquarters in Brussels.
The movement has been given support and congratulations for its actions in assisting Ukraine. The Bulgarian standing on the matter was worked out thanks to the efforts of the MRF, too.
The process of European integration in the Western Balkans, and in Northern Macedonia in particular, has slowed down in the past year, and nothing has happened for the last six months. The progress was further damaged due to the way the now ousted government of Bulgaria was conducting the negotiations – in Brussels, with the neighbouring states and at home. There was no way to reconcile all the approaches, as one of them was nothing but a lie, Mustafa Karadayi said.
The past week was especially revealing of what has happened in Bulgaria. On June 16, there was a proposal by the French presidency for a negotiating framework, which was received in Sofia.
For an entire week though, the government could not find an approach and a legal way to file it with Bulgaria’s parliament – the National Assembly. There was no official notification by the prime minister to the National Assembly, so the proposal was not discussed, the MRF leader explained.
Therefore, as soon as the vote of no confidence was carried out, the MRF submitted the relevant draft declaration to the National Assembly to allow the adoption of the French proposal.
And they set off to sabotage the process, Karadayi said. A meeting of the National Assembly’s committee on foreign relations was scheduled for 10 am today, and it was expected to consider the draft by the MRF, to issue an opinion and convene an extraordinary meeting of parliament with a single item on the agenda.
This is a fast track. We gave the opportunity to Bulgaria to move ahead through the fast track, Mustafa Karadayi said.
The negotiating framework is good. We opened the track and allowed for a debate to take place at all. So far, nothing has been submitted to the National Assembly, he said and added that "in order to have at least three winning numbers in the lottery, one must at least buy a slip".
On the contrary - this morning, the political opponents in Bulgaria are again at the aim of the government. The arrogance and aggression shown by these people who have lost their power do not make them honour. They are not learning their lesson, the MRF leader pointed out.
Mentioning a political opponent in the same breath with “behind-the-scenes” and “mafia” is a disgrace. How can Mr. Peevski be clandestine when he sits in the front row of the National Assembly plenary hall. If he is there – why is he there, and if he isn’t there - why isn’t he there? Is this behind-the-scenes, Karadayi asked.
They themselves are a product of behind-the-scenes forces in Bulgaria in the last 25 years – a product of the oligarch Ivo Prokopiev. They are his lackeys, the MRF leader said.
I hope there will be a solution for Northern Macedonia as soon as possible, Mustafa Karadayi told the news conference. "We have shown as an opposition party how we pursue a coherent policy. We have said since the 1990s that to overcome the differences in the Balkans, we must become members of common alliances - the EU and NATO," he said.
The effective formula starts with dialogue, Karadayi added. He said that in a week, the now “former” incumbents in Bulgaria have had to learn a fundamental lesson in politics when their own Chairman of the National Assembly was removed and when they fell victim to the first successful no-confidence vote in the country.
You are not in a position to arrogantly force your opinion contrary to the public agenda. People are living through crises, inflation, they are getting poorer, and some people are condescendingly trying to enforce their own agenda even after losing their majority in parliament, Karadayi said about the ousted government.
