Council of Europe: Bulgaria should enable Macedonians to self-identify

The Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of the Rights of National Minorities in the Council of Europe published today its fifth opinion on the situation in Bulgaria regarding the implementation of the convention. In the overall conclusion, the committee notes that Bulgaria has not made sufficient progress in ensuring access to minority rights and calls on the Bulgarian authorities to harmonize activities under the convention.

"While Bulgaria has played an increasingly active role in promoting the rights of persons belonging to Bulgarian minorities abroad, such efforts have not been observed within Bulgaria," the document states.

The Committee points out that in Bulgaria there is a lack of awareness of minority rights as part of human rights. It is also emphasized that the Bulgarian authorities have not taken significant steps to implement long-term recommendations on issues such as free self-identification and full equality for all citizens.

"As in previous cycles, persons who identify as Macedonians have reiterated their long-standing desire to be protected under the Framework Convention, but since the authorities do not accept the existence of objective criteria for them, these persons cannot enjoy access to rights individual minorities. Their long-term efforts to register associations promoting the Macedonian community were not successful. People who identify as Pomak have also expressed their desire to benefit from protection under the Convention. According to the authorities, there are no necessary objective criteria for the Pomaks, who continue to be called Bulgarian Muslims, contrary to their self-identification," the report states.

According to the 2021 census data, the largest minority in Bulgaria are Turks (8.4%), followed by Roma (4.4%). Despite this, people who self-identify as Macedonian and who continue to seek protection under the Framework Convention report that they face discouragement and obstacles from the authorities, especially when organizing public events.