Timcho Mucunski visit to Sofia sparks Tsar Samuil debate
Mucunski declined to say whether he will visit Tsar Samuil’s grave in Sofia; opposition parties and a former MEP reacted strongly.
Tsar Samuil resurfaced as a political issue after Foreign Minister Timcho Mucunski’s visit to Sofia, when he declined to answer whether he would visit the grave in Sofia that now holds the monarch’s remains transferred from Greece.
During a short exchange with journalists, Mucunski said he had not discussed that matter with his counterpart. A reporter asked: "I wanted to ask whether after the meeting with Mrs. Petrova you followed what happened last week – the return of Tsar Samuil's bones from Greece to Bulgaria – and whether you will pay a visit to pay respects to the remains of the great ruler." Mucunski replied: "I do not discuss flowers on Tsar Samuil's grave."
Domestic reaction and regional comments
The ruling VMRO-DPMNE seized on the episode to accuse SDSM and its leader Venko Filipche of staying silent about the transfer and, they said, of effectively advancing Bulgarian interests by requesting that Bulgaria be recognised in North Macedonia's constitution.
Former MEP Angel Dzhambaski used social media after Mucunski's visit to Sofia to urge Bulgaria not to yield "even a millimetre" and to demand that North Macedonia include Bulgarians in its constitution and preserve two bilateral protocols. He also called for the remains of Goce Delchev to be taken to Sofia in the future. Dzhambaski has previously been banned from entering the country.
The transfer of Tsar Samuil's remains from Greece to Bulgaria took place on 3 October. The Joint Historical Commission’s 21 February 2019 decision states that "Tsar Samuil and his dramatic fate are a symbol of the shared history of the modern states of Bulgaria and North Macedonia."
Photo: press material from the event
