This week Macedonia’s capital Skopje became a scene of violent protests against the country’s government and counter protests held against the opposition. The reception hall of the Macedonian Presidency was destroyed and the Macedonian Police had to use water cannons and tear-gas, in order to disperse the protesters. The public discontent escalated due to President George Ivanov’s decision to pardon in advance local politicians, businessmen and magistrates who were investigated for corruption. President Ivanov said that he did so, because he wanted to calm the political atmosphere before the forthcoming Parliamentary elections.

The EU and Macedonia’s neighbors expressed concern of the recent events in that country. Bulgaria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Daniel Mitov called on the Macedonian politicians to show responsibility and refrain from any actions which may undermine the rule of law in Macedonia. In a telephone conversation with his Macedonian counterpart George Ivanov Bulgaria’s President Rossen Plevneliev condemned his decision to pardon politicians, magistrates and businessmen investigated for corruption. Bulgaria’s Premier Boyko Borissov said that he had information that countries from the Balkan region have been recently subject to purposeful destabilization, alluding to the coincidence between the recent protests in Macedonia and the storm over the Macedonian border carried out by the refugees accommodated at the Refugee camp in Idomeni (Greece). Premier Borissov voiced his concern that in case of a possible impeachment of Macedonia’s President, the border protection in that country would worsen and that “we can only guess what would happen afterwards”. Such fears and concerns may sound strained, but they are supported indirectly by concrete facts and circumstances. Bulgaria’s southern border has been subject to protection by mixed patrols of the Bulgarian Armed Forces and the Border Police since Friday. Meanwhile, the Greek army has been holding military training near its border with Macedonia and Macedonia’s President Georgi Ivanov complained that Greek fighter jets violated his country’s airspace. Moreover, the instability in Macedonia is chronic. Almost one year ago in May 2015 Bulgaria sent a limited military contingent to the Macedonian border, because of the skirmish between Macedonia’s Police and terrorist in Kumanovo, in order to protect the Bulgarian border if the situation in Macedonia had worsened. Back then Premier Borissov explained the there were some 90,000 people with Bulgarian passports in Macedonia and that if things went wrong, Bulgaria should be ready to react adequately.

Bulgaria has other reasons to show concern about the developments in Macedonia, too. The instability of Bulgaria’s western neighbor hampers the efforts of the Bulgarian authorities to reach an agreement of good neighborly relations with Macedonia. Sofia insists on such an agreement, in order to back Macedonia’s EU accession bid. The tumults in Macedonia do not favor Bulgaria’s engagement to support the integration of all Western Balkan countries in the EU and NATO, because Bulgaria took over the one-year rotational Presidency of the Southeast European Cooperation Process. Macedonia’s problems are problems of the whole Balkan region. Macedonia can rely on the support of the Balkan states to solve its problems, if that country shows strong will itself. Unfortunately, statements such as the one made by Macedonia’s President Ivanov that the Balkans have always been a powder keg and that the ignition always comes from outside prove the lack of such will.