Valeri Simeonov torpedoes the Bulgarian presidency of the Union with nauseating remarks (V3)

(B2) The Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister, Valeri Simeonov, in charge of Economy and Demographic Policy, went off the rails this Friday (9 February). In déclaration particularly violent, published (in Bulgarian), on the site of his party, the president of the National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria, a Bulgarian nationalist party, attacks in a rather vulgar and aggressive way the German Green MEP, Ska Keller.

Ska Keller's fault: having traveled to Bulgaria and having protested yesterday against the expansion of the ski resort and commercial exploitation on the protected site Natura 2000 Pirin National Park (1). A sensitive issue in Bulgaria not so much because it affects national pride or tourism development but because it comes to contest some well-established private interests which collide with the public 'thing'.

Après avoir traité Ska Keller de djihadiste vert, en insistant lourdement sur sa nationalité (allemande), le communiqué du parti du vice-Premier ministre (2), demande :

« au gouvernement bulgare (« la présidence du Conseil de l'Union européenne ») d'envoyer immédiatement la note au Parlement européen, au gouvernement fédéral allemand et aux dirigeants du Parti des Verts pour « ingérence inacceptable dans les affaires intérieures de la Bulgarie souveraine et violation du principe de subsidiarité ».

Il ne s'en tient pas là. Dans un langage plutôt vulgaire, il demande ni plus ni moins l'expulsion sans tarder de l'eurodéputée non pas vers son pays mais vers la frontière turque.

« Le ministère des Affaires étrangères doit déclarer Ska Keller persona non grata et elle doit être expulsée par camion à Kapikule (nb : près de la frontière turque). Nous pensons que le coût d'un billet d'avion serait injustifié. Si nécessaire, le NFSB se fera un plaisir de fournir un transport gratuit. »

An irrelevant exit for an official of the Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Comment: this type of statement coming from the mouth of a government official is surprising to say the least. We can discuss political statements, challenge them, argue. But asking for the expulsion of a person, just because of the expression of his opinions, which correspond to his functions (of MEP), is more a dictatorial method than a democracy.

When this statement comes from a member of the government who holds the presidency of the Union, it is even more out of place. The presidency of the EU must normally forget somewhat during the six months of the presidency its own worries, its national questions to be the European representation.

Beyond the political personality who has just uttered these words, this remark runs counter to all the ideas that the European Union promotes. It weakens the Bulgarian presidency of the Union which will have to react quickly. A few days before the gymnich, the meeting of foreign ministers in Sofia, where the Union is to discuss the Syrian question, the Middle East, what legitimacy can the Union have in expressing itself on democracy and the human rights in the world, if the leader of the country hosting this meeting sets the opposite example?

NB: just before February 13, Mr. Simeonov must speak at the high level conference on tourism. organized by the Bulgarian Presidency of the Union alongside European Commissioner for Industry Elżbieta Bieńkowska. We will then see if the European authorities react.

The slow reaction of the Bulgarian presidency

B2 requested a reaction from the Bulgarian Presidency and the European authorities. They were careful not to respond. It took 24 hours for the government to finally consent in two sentences published by communicated to reframe the debate.

« he position of the National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria (NFSB) vis-à-vis MEP Ska Keller is not the position of the Bulgarian government. The government of the Republic of Bulgaria is always open to criticism and respects the right to free expression of personal opinion in law. [...] In Bulgarian society, freedom of expression is also firmly rooted and guaranteed by the Constitution. »

Comment: a bit short... and not quite spontaneous

This answer is a bit short and not really up to the point. No apologies, no words of condemnation, no reference to respect for European institutions. One gets the impression that this is a statement by any party and not by a leading member of the government and that Bulgaria does not have the presidency of the European Union which imposes everything on it likewise some obligations.

Moreover, she is not really spontaneous. According to information from B2, collected from a good source, it was following a call from Jean-Claude Juncker, the President of the European Commission, that the Bulgarian government moved and published its press release.

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)

(1) Vladimir Simeonov was found guilty in October 2017 of having pronounced in 2014 for discrimination after a hate speech against Roma

(2) A development that sparked a campaign by conservation organisations, the WWF in particular as well as written questions green MEPs. This project had already been talked about. In 2015, environmental NGOs lodged a complaint with the European Commission (read in Euractiv).

Updated February 10 at 23 p.m. and February 12 at 14 p.m.