“Defeat fear, get counted as Bulgarian,” Petar Kolev, leader of the Civic Democratic Union in North Macedonia urges. The citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia who are Bulgarian should clearly state their nationality during the population census in North Macedonia.

“It is time to stand up to discrimination, hate speech and the violation of fundamental human rights! It is time that our country become a modern European country, in which all citizens shall be equal before the Constitution and the law,” Kolev said, as quoted by BGNES. He added that he expects the population census in North Macedonia to establish a sufficient number of Bulgarians to be registered in the country’s Constitution.