Famous pro-Russian journalist asked to join EU election race

7 months ago 28

Bulgarian National Radio journalist Petar Volgin, known for his pro-Russian positions, has been asked by the party structure of the pro-Russian party Vazrazhdane to stand in the European elections.

Volgin has not yet given an official response, but after taking unpaid leave from state radio, he attended a forum of far-right parties organised by Vazrazhdane in Sofia on Friday, addressing participants that included representatives of nationalist parties and organisations from nine European countries, state news agency BTA reported.

The pre-election meeting, held under the motto “The New Leaders of Europe,” was attended by Greek AKKEL leader Evangelos Tsiombanidis, Moldovan Vazrazhdane leader Natalia Paraska, Dutch Forum for Democracy representative Ralf Dekker, Slovak Movement Republic leader Milan Uhrik, Serbian Zavetnitsi leader Goran Igić, Hungarian Our Homeland leader Janos Argielán, Alternative for Sweden leader Gustav Kasselstrand and Swiss MASS-VOLL! leader Nicolas Rimoldi.

The event was hosted by Bulgarian Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov, who is suspected of being a Russian agent by Ukrainian authorities.

“Not only Petar Volgin, but any journalist from Bulgarian National Radio, if he joins a party list-be it for national, European, local, or any kind of election-it would mean being tied to a political party, which would not allow him to do his work as a journalist,” commented BNR head Milen Mitev.

Volgin hosted the influential BNR radio programmes “12 plus 3” and “Politically Incorrect.” In December 2023, he interviewed Russian Ambassador Eleonora Mitrofanova, forcing the BNR leadership to ban the interview’s broadcast.

Previously, the SEM media watchdog had examined the positions Volgin had taken on BNR’s airwaves and found a “sense of propaganda suggestions” in his radio programme.

At the beginning of April 2024, the Sofia court opened a case against Volgin based on collective action brought by the heirs of the victims of communist terror in Bulgaria. The reason was Volgin’s statement in 2023, in which he justified the first major act of communist reign in Bulgaria – the creation of the People’s Court, which killed thousands without due trial.

Additionally, in 2022, Volgin used state radio to spread disinformation that the Ukrainian Azov Battalion had captured two ships, one of which had 14 Bulgarian sailors on board. The media regulator then sanctioned him with a “remark.”

(Krassen Nikolov | Euractiv.bg)