Bulgaria-North Macedonia tension over hate speech

On 4 July 2026, North Macedonia’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Agency for National Security announced investigations into roughly twenty online outlets – including web portals and Facebook and Instagram pages – suspected of spreading hate speech that fuels bilateral tensions with Bulgaria. Authorities said the probe could extend to the television station Channel 5 but had not confirmed that decision.

By 27 July 2026, Bulgaria’s State Agency for National Security and the State Agency for Intelligence issued a joint report warning of heightened Balkan security threats. The agencies highlighted foreign influence operations in the Western Balkans, especially in North Macedonia, citing anti‑Bulgarian discrimination, hate crimes, the closure of Bulgarian community organisations, and coordinated information campaigns aimed at erasing Bulgarian cultural heritage. The report framed these developments as undermining Bulgaria’s regional security and its Euro‑Atlantic integration, linking them to the earlier Macedonian investigation of hate‑speech channels.