Broad autonomy with international participation could provide a lasting solution to the problems facing the Bulgarian minority in Serbia. This was stated by Ivan Nikolov, chairman of the Bulgarian Cultural and Information Centre in Bosilegrad, in an interview with BGNES.
According to him, such a step depends on Belgrade’s readiness to continue its European integration and Bulgaria’s determination to raise the issue of the future of Bulgarians in the Western Outskirts.
“It may sound utopian, but it is possible to achieve,” Nikolov said.He cited as possible examples the autonomy of South Tyrol in Italy, the autonomous regions in Spain, and the autonomous regions of Kosovo and Vojvodina that existed in the former Yugoslavia. In his view, the model should include broader powers and international participation, including that of Bulgaria or the states that succeeded the former Yugoslavia.
Rights, education and infrastructure
Nikolov said that following the breakup of Yugoslavia, the Bulgarian minority had been left without the necessary guarantees for its development. He claims that a policy of national assimilation and depopulation of the areas of the Western Outskirts continues in Serbia.
According to him, any potential autonomy should regulate the rights of the population, education, healthcare, the economy and infrastructure. The main requirement is to establish a binding institutional and legislative framework guaranteeing the implementation of these rights.
The chairman of the Bosilegrad Cultural and Information Centre criticised the approach taken so far, which has been based on high-level meetings and political promises. He recalled commitments made before 2018 regarding investment, cross-border cooperation and the use of funds from international programmes.
According to him, these promises have not led to any practical change, as there was no institutional framework obliging the parties to fulfil them.
Uncertainty surrounding Belgrade’s future policy
Nikolov welcomed the victory of the student slate in Serbia’s elections and the end of Aleksandar Vučić’s rule. He nevertheless stressed that it was still too early to draw conclusions about the country’s future course.
Among the main unknowns, he cited the formation of the National Assembly and the new government, Serbia’s geopolitical orientation, its relations with Russia and China, European integration and policy towards Kosovo. Nikolov warned that the student movement was diverse and could face internal contradictions.
He also expressed caution regarding relations with Bulgaria, saying that there had been cases during the student protests of interview requests from Bulgarian television stations being rejected.
Limited powers of the National Council
Nikolov also commented on the upcoming elections for the National Council of the Bulgarian minority in Serbia. According to him, the institution was conceived as an instrument for exercising cultural autonomy, but has neither legislative nor executive power.
National councils may give opinions on the heads of educational institutions and the editors of media outlets, but they have no real mechanisms for enforcing minority rights. Their areas of activity include education, information, culture and the official use of minority languages.
Sources: bgnes.bg