We don’t need the European Union if someone wants us to negotiate about the Macedonian language and the Macedonian identity. Neither the incumbent government nor any other has the right to negotiate about the Macedonian language and the Macedonian identity, Prime Minister Zoran Zaev said at monthly’s Q&A session in Parliament on Thursday.

He was asked by VMRO-DPMNE MP Rashela Mizrahi why the country still hasn’t started negotiating with the EU after the PM had claimed that the Prespa Agreement would guarantee membership into the bloc.

She also asked the PM to read the proposal he presented to Sofia officials. “The same ones who are saying Zaev had gone to Sofia to make treason, are the same ones asking why we haven’t delivered opening of negotiations. What are your positions in fact? Should be protect the Macedonian identity or should we make some kind of deal with Bulgaria only to join the EU,” Zaev said calling the opposition ‘quasi-patriots’.

With Bulgaria, Zaev said, we are discussing a roadmap after being proposed in the Portuguese proposal and it includes all areas for cooperation, such as infrastructure, opening of border crossings and better cooperation between institutions.

“The other part we are covering in the roadmap is the intensity for meetings of the joint commission for historical and educational issues. Macedonian language is mentioned in one segment of the document, which states that it involves two similar but different languages that are internationally recognized,” he said.

According to the PM, the country hasn’t yet opened negotiations with the EU due to the political state of play in Bulgaria, which has no political government and no assembly.

MP Mizrahi said she wasn’t satisfied with the PM’s response. Bulgaria, she said, had adopted a declaration which established its red lines. “Why don’t we establish our own lines, why don’t we adopt a declaration,” Mizrahi urged.