Skopje, 31 January 2023 (MIA) – Defense Minister Slavjanka Petrovska says Goce Delchev is a giant whose birthday should be observed with dignity, and sees the announced patriotic guards at his grave as an attempt to gain political points by using the nationalism card.

“There is no need for any parallel structures because the state institutions are operational, especially those in charge of the state’s security and stability. There is no need for this. As I see it, their motive is probably to gain political points by using the nationalism card for the umpteenth time, to try and be liked by the people. You know, elections were considered for a very long time as a win or lose situation when it came to nationalistic issues. This is now happening in Bulgaria. This is one of the reasons for the tensions between the two countries. I don’t believe that nationalist issues should win or lose elections, they should be closed or resolved in a different way,” Minister Petrovska told TV24.

Asked if she feared that VMRO-DPMNE patriotic guards could cause incidents, she says it is a bad decision if this is their purpose.

“If they are there to observe the day of our giant, then they should act accordingly and truly celebrate the day of Goce Delchev’s birth while leaving institutions to do their job,” says Petrovska.