Bulgarian President Iliana Jotova criticizes North Macedonia

Bulgarian President Iliana Jotova has criticized North Macedonia during a meeting with United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk in New York. Jotova described Bulgaria as a “good ethnic model in Europe” while accusing North Macedonia of exercising “systematic institutional pressure and discriminatory treatment based on ethnic origin.”

Jotova specifically cited the case of Iva Mihajlova and expressed concern regarding a proposed retroactive law in North Macedonia that she claims will violate freedom of association. She emphasized that human rights require constant struggle, particularly in the context of recent global conflicts.