Bulgarophiles

Bulgarophiles^[1] (Bulgarian: българофили, romanized: bălgarofili; Serbian and Macedonian: бугарофили or бугараши, romanized: bugarofili or bugaraši;^[2] Greek: βουλγαρόφιλοι, romanized: boulgarófiloi; Romanian: bulgarofilii) is a pejorative term used for Slavic people from the regions of Macedonia and Pomoravlje^[3][4][5] who identify as ethnic Bulgarians. In Bulgaria, the term Bulgaromans; (Bulgarian: българомани, romanized: bălgaromani; Romanian: bulgaromani) refers to non-Slavic people such as Aromanians^[6] with a Bulgarian self-awareness.^[7] During the 19th and early 20th century the Bulgarian national identification arose as a result of an intense propaganda campaign and the affiliation with the Bulgarian millet and Bulgarian Exarchate.^[8][9] In the 20th century, Bulgarophiles in neighboring Yugoslavia and Greece were considered enemies of the state harboring irredentist tendencies.^[10][11] Critics of the view that the Macedonian nation has existed for a long time and that it has no relation with the Bulgarian nation get accused of being Bulgarophiles in North Macedonia.^[12] In the context of North Macedonia, the term also means feeling a close ethnic relation with Bulgarians or being of Bulgarian origin.^[13]