EU pressures Serbia and Kosovo to safeguard Bulgarian minorities
European Parliament committee adopts resolutions calling for stronger protections amid concerns over cultural identity suppression and minority rights violations
SOFIA, Bulgaria (MNTV) – The European Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee (AFET) has stepped up calls for Serbia and Kosovo to protect Bulgarian minority communities, following the adoption of key reports on the two countries during its meeting on Wednesday.
At the heart of the push were Bulgarian Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) Andrey Kovachev (EPP/GERB) and Ivaylo Valchev (ECR/There Is Such a People), who successfully introduced amendments highlighting minority rights concerns.
The report on Kosovo, influenced by their proposals, draws attention to a petition submitted to the Assembly of the Republic of Kosovo in January 2023. Signed by nearly 500 people identifying as Bulgarian, the petition remains under review.
The report urges Kosovo to safeguard the rights of Bulgarian communities through legislation and to ensure full constitutional protection for all minority groups.
Similarly, the report on Serbia emphasises the need to protect the rights and cultural heritage of national minorities, including providing education in minority languages.
It also voices concerns over attempts to undermine the Bulgarian community’s historical identity, citing the promotion of a so-called “Shopi nation,” the controversial framing of the “Surdulica massacre,” and a raid on the Cultural and Information Centre (CIC) in Bosilegrad.
Two amendments addressing these issues, tabled by Kovachev and Valchev, passed by substantial margins. The first, highlighting efforts to distort Bulgarian historical identity, was adopted with 43 votes in favour, 27 against, and three abstentions.
The second, concerning the search of the Bosilegrad CIC, passed with 31 votes in favour, 28 against, and 14 abstentions.
The reports will now advance to the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg, where they will be debated as draft resolutions between May 5 and 8, 2025.
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