Bulgarian president greets participants in banned pro-Russian march

6 months ago 25

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, emerging as one of the key future players in Bulgarian party politics, personally attended the banned pro-Russian “Immortal Regiment” march in Sofia on Thursday.

The “Immortal Regiment” march, initiated by Russia, took place in the Bulgarian capital despite the Sofia municipality denying permission, partly based on information from the State Agency for National Security counter-intelligence service.

“Today is a day of tribute to the few remaining Bulgarian veterans who participated in the Second World War, to the thousands of Bulgarians who took part in that war, to the thousands who gave their lives for the victory over Nazism. Thanks to their sacrifice, the road to today’s peaceful and united Europe was opened,” Radev told journalists after the march.

Radev, who opposes Bulgaria sending military aid to Ukraine, was joined by Vice-President Iliyana Yotova to congratulate those taking part in the initiative. The march was also attended by Russian Ambassador to Sofia Eleonora Mitrofanova.

More than 200 people took part in the march, which commemorated the victory over Nazi Germany and saw people chanting slogans in support of Russia. Because of the ban, participants walked on the pavement instead of the road.

During the ceremony, Radev laid a wreath at the Monument to the Unknown Soldier on the occasion of the 79th anniversary of the victory over Nazism in World War II.

The procession continued to the garden in the centre of Sofia, where the monument to the Soviet army’s occupation of the Bulgarian capital stood until the end of 2023 when it was dismantled—an event used by some pro-Russian candidates for the Bulgarian and European parliaments to campaign for the upcoming elections.

The pro-Russian Solidarna Bulgaria party candidates, Maya Manolova, Vanya Grigorova, and Georgi Kadiev, stood in front of the fences where the Soviet army monument stood.

“There will be a Soviet Army Monument here again, and there will be responsibility for all those who tried to desecrate it, to cut it, to destroy it. By all legal means, we will force them to rebuild it, to put it back on the pedestal, where they took it down illegally, against the will of the Bulgarian people, and spend state money,” Manolova said in front of the fence.

The three then scratched on the fence with red spray paint, “There will be a monument here again”.

Radev and Yotova later attended the EU flag-raising ceremony in front of the Presidential Palace to mark Europe Day.

In 2024, even Russia did not have a march of the “Immortal Regiment” for security reasons, and the march was replaced by other events.

(Krassen Nikolov | Euractiv.bg)