Skopje Is Not Happy: Assimilation Spurs Bulgarian Minority, Halves Macedonian Numbers in Albania

"Assimilation has led to the creation of a Bulgarian minority in Albania," reported the media in North Macedonia, highlighting the surprising results of Albania's recent population census. These reports also pointed out that the number of Macedonians in Albania has halved. The census revealed that over 7,000 Albanian citizens identified as Bulgarian, while fewer than 2,300 declared themselves as Macedonian, a significant drop from the 5,500 recorded in 2011.

The local party "Macedonian Alliance for European Integration" reacted sharply to these findings. Its leader, Vasil Sterovski, accused representatives of Bulgarian institutions of influencing people in the Prespa, Gora, and Golo Bardo regions with promises of Bulgarian passports. This accusation was widely reported by the media in the Republic of North Macedonia.

Overall, the census data underscored a severe demographic decline in Albania. Between 2011 and 2023, Albania's population shrank by more than 14 percent, dropping from 2.8 million to 2.4 million. The Albanian Statistical Institute attributed this significant decrease primarily to emigration.

The census results, which showed the creation of a Bulgarian minority and a significant decrease in the number of Macedonians, were described as surprising by the media in North Macedonia. Additionally, they reported on a party that does not recognize the census results, adding to the controversy surrounding the findings.

Bulgaria needs to respond more assertively to the anti-Bulgarian rhetoric from the leaders in the Republic of North Macedonia, similar to Greece's approach, stated Prof. Kiril Topalov, a member of the bilateral commission on historical and educational issues, in an interview with BNR.

Prof. Topalov confirmed that the commission meets regularly, with the most recent meeting held in Sofia and the next scheduled for Skopje. However, he noted a lack of visible progress on discussions related to history, culture, and identity. According to him, representatives from North Macedonia in the historical commission are politically tasked with adhering strictly to their national postulates, which he argues misleads their society. He emphasized that historical facts, such as Samuil being a Bulgarian king and Macedonia historically being part of the Bulgarian state, are being disregarded.

He also observed that the new leaders in Skopje are escalating anti-Bulgarian sentiment. Prof. Topalov expressed concern that political campaigns increasingly rely on strong anti-Bulgarian positions, indicating that such sentiments have deeply permeated the society. He suggested that this shift in mentality and historical perspective serves the interests of Belgrade, which he believes is influenced by Moscow, to hinder Macedonia's path to European Union membership.

Despite these challenges, Prof. Topalov noted that the society in North Macedonia aspires to join the EU. Regarding acting Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev's idea for the European Council to reaffirm its previous conclusions and urge Skopje to fulfill its commitments, Prof. Topalov expressed hope for a positive effect. He reiterated that Bulgaria must adopt a much stronger stance, akin to Greece's approach, in dealing with these issues.