Macedonia Wonders What Bulgaria's President-Elect Thinks of It

Bulgaria's President-elect, and former Regional Minister, Rosen Plevneliev, celebrates his victory Sunday night. Photo by BGNES

Bulgaria's president-elect Rosen Plevneliev has to come out with a statement on his country's relations with Macedonia, Macedonian newspaper "Nova Makedonija" ("New Macedonia") has demanded.

"Newly elected Bulgarian president Rosen Plevneliev has not spoken publicly about (Bulgaria's) relations with Macedonia, neither has commented the Macedonian minority issue in Bulgaria," the Macedonian paper has pointed out in an article provocatively entitled "What Kind of Macedonian is Bulgaria's New President."

Macedonian officials recently made the puzzling statement that some 700 000 "Macedonians" inhabit Bulgaria, probably referring to Bulgarians living in the Southwestern part of the country.

Plevneliev himself is born in Gotse Delchev, a Southwestern Bulgarian town named after a Bulgarian revolutionary whom Macedonians consider their own "national hero".

Plevneliev's official election campaign video recently emerged in Internet under the title "A Macedonian in Bulgaria".

On Tuesday, Macedonia's head of state Gjorge Ivanov sent a congratulatory letter to Rosen Plevneliev,  expressing his hopes for further deepening of the bilateral ties.

Rosen Plevneliev from the ruling center-right party GERB was elected President of Bulgaria on Sunday, October 30, 2011; he will be inaugurated on January 21, 2012.

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