Macedonia this week lifted a ban on
Bulgarian books in the latest chapter of a bizarre language dispute
with its Balkan neighbour, but the move triggered a political storm of
opposition protest.
The country's main opposition party, the formerly communist Social
Democratic Alliance (SDA), pressed on Thursday for a censure motion
in parliament against Culture Minister Dimitar Dimitrov, calling the
decision tantamount to treason.
"THE BOOK BAN SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN LIFTED," SDA SPOKESMAN VLADO
BUCKOVSKI TOLD REUTERS. "THE BULGARISATION OF OUR CULTURE IS THE
BIGGEST ISSUE FOR MACEDONIA AND WE WANT PARLIAMENT TO DEBATE IT."
At the heart of the matter lies a row between the two Balkan nations
which has marred relations for nearly a decade.
Bulgaria recognised Macedonia when it split from Yugoslavia in 1991
but for a long time it refused to accept that Macedonian is a separate
language, not a Bulgarian dialect. Macedonians cringed at the notion,
saying their language is a vital part of their national identity.
The dispute was formally resolved in February and relations have
improved greatly since but wariness lingers.
Some Macedonians say they fear Bulgaria, which twice occupied their
country during the two World Wars, still harbours expansionist
aspirations. This is vehemently denied by Sofia.
The SDA does not have the parliamentary strength needed to topple
Dimitrov, who has described the ban as an ideological leftover of the
communist era.
"BOOKS AND NEWSPAPERS IN BULGARIAN WERE TAKEN (BY MACEDONIAN
POLICE) FROM MACEDONIAN CITIZENS COMING BACK. ONLY MATHEMATICS OR
SCIENCE BOOKS WERE ALLOWED," HE TOLD REUTERS IN A WRITTEN STATEMENT.
The press welcomed the move, announced by Macedonian Prime
Minister Lubcho Georgievski on Monday, saying it was the final tear in
the iron curtain that separated Macedonia from the West during its 40
years as part of Yugoslavia.
"IT WAS ABOUT TIME THIS IRON CURTAIN WAS LIFTED," SAID THE DAILY DNEVNIK
IN ITS MAIN EDITORIAL. "THIS IS A NEW ERA IN OUR CULTURAL RELATIONS WITH
BULGARIA."
At the Skopje writers' club cafe, intellectuals sat under a shady tree
debating the issue, with most supporting it as a civilised gesture that
brought Macedonia closer to the West.
But others said that the move should be reciprocated by Bulgaria.
"THIS IS NOT ABOUT LINGUISTIC SUPERIORITY, IT'S ABOUT POLITICAL PREJUDICE.
WE RESPECT THEM BUT THEY DON'T RESPECT US," SAID POET AND CRITIC TODOR
SHALOVSKI.
There appeared to be a confusion on whether a similar ban on
Macedonian literature existed in Bulgaria.
Bulgarian officials said they were not aware of a ban.
"THERE WAS NEVER SUCH A LAW IN BULGARIA," A BULGARIAN FOREIGN
MINISTRY OFFICIAL WHO REQUESTED ANONYMITY TOLD REUTERS. "NOVA
MAKEDONIJA (NEWSPAPER) WAS ALWAYS ON THE NEWS-STAND."