This is a summary of the open letter of Mr Asen Genov, a blogger and active protester against PM Oresharski’s government, to PES leadership. The letter is a response to the numerous attacks in Bulgaria’s press, including Bulgarian Socialist Party official paper DUMA (www.duma.bg) against him and Open Society, Trust for Civil Society in Central & Eastern Europe, German Marshall Fund and other organisations with claims that they finance the anti-government protests in the country.
Besides being an active protester, Mr Genov initiated the first anti-government protest as a Facebook event (#ДАНСwithme) that gathered more than 10,000 people to protest despite the heavy rain in downtown Sofia on 14th of June. The protests were triggered after the Parliament appointed Mr Delyan Peevski, a controversial media mogul and member of Parliament, as a head of National Security Service (DANS) after a 15-minute procedure with no discussion in the parliament.
Here is the text of the letter, a summary of the original text in Bulgarian:
TO: MR. MARTIN SCHULZ, President of the European Parliament and MR. HANNES SWOBODA, MEP and Leader of PES parliament group
CC: MR. SERGEJ STANISHEV, Prime-Minister of Bulgaria, President of PES
With this letter I invite you to state the position of The Party of European Socialists (PES) relating to accusations made about international non-governmental organisations working to spread democratic values in Central and Eastern Europe with regard to the organisation, facilitation and funding of anti-government protests in Bulgaria.
Background
Anti-government protests have been sweeping Bulgaria since the 14th of June 2013. On that day the newly elected government of Mr. Plamen Oresharski pushed through the candidacy of Mr. Delyan Peevski as head of the National Security Agency.
Mr. Peevski owns a string of media partially financed by the Corporate Commercial Bank whose owner Mr. Tsvetan Vasilev holds broad interests in many sectors of the Bulgarian economy. This economic group received a key political position of influence: The National Security Agency.
Social discontent and the protests which resulted from it came about due to the total lack of transparency and zero public accountability of the new government surrounding this, and several other key political appointments.
Instead of answers, a smear campaign began to discredit the protests with the apparent aim of marginalising key figures and diminishing their effect. One of the key tenants of this campaign was that the protests were paid and that behind the financial support stood several non-governmental organisations including Open Society, Trust for Civil Society in Central & Eastern Europe and the German Marshall Fund.
Facts
- On the 19th of August 2013 the deputy chair of the Bulgarian National Assembly and Bulgarian Socialist Party MP Maya Manolova stated that the protests are ‘a new form of temporary employment’. She went on to say that these paid protests have enabled many people to cover their expenses over the summer allowing them to take holidays on the coast
- On the 21st of August 2013 the official publication of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, the Duma Newspaper published an article directly accusing Open Society and the Trust for Civil Society in Central & Eastern Europe of financing the anti-government protests
- On the 25th of August 2013 the leader of the right-wing party ‘Attaka’ Mr. Volen Siderov stated that the anti-government protests consisted of supporters paid by the billionaire George Soros and the former ruling party GERB
Through its silence, the leadership of the Bulgarian Socialist Party condones and supports this dangerous smear campaign coordinated through media controlled by Mr. Peevski.
Questions
In relation to the above I’m expecting an official position from the leader of PES on the following questions:
- Do you have details that the Open Society, Trust for Civil Society in Central & Eastern Europe, German Marshall Fund and other organisations are acting in any way against the rule of law or against the democratic values and human rights in Bulgaria?
- Do you share the position published in the official Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) press that the above-mentioned organisations are financing the anti-government protests in Bulgaria?
- What is the attitude of PES towards non-governmental organisations who encourage the development of civil democracy and seek greater transparency in senior political decision-making?
It is clear that any position made by the leader of BSP, also as leader of PES, creates a clear link to the Party of European Socialists and its leadership.
The attempts to discredit the anti-government protests by claiming the direct financial involvement of these non-governmental organisations is a very dangerous and destabilising approach which seriously damages our national image.
It is extremely important that the leader of PES clearly states whether the party stands by the claims that Open Society, the Trust for Civil Society in Central & Eastern Europe, German Marshall Fund and others are helping to finance the anti-government protests in Bulgaria.
The protests cannot end through false accusations and manipulation. We need clear, transparent answers which our citizens are fully entitled to receive.
