site.btaContinue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria Criticizes Bulgarian MPs' Presence at BRICS Forum

Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) has issued a statement on the attendance of Bulgarian MPs at a BRICS–Europe forum in Sochi, Russia, earlier in November. MP Yavor Bozhankov read out the statement from the rostrum in Parliament on Friday. 

CC-DB said the forum was essentially anti-European by bringing together politicians who consistently and systematically work to divide European societies, undermine trust in European political systems and destabilize European unity. Bozhankov said: "This debate did not take place in the Bulgarian Parliament, but in Germany it took on some very interesting nuances. Even the populist AfD party distanced itself from its representatives there." He added that the German Christian Democrats went even further, saying that the presence of German MPs posed a threat to national security, and asked the security services if the MPs had shared information about Germany's military secrets or about the policies of European states, and if they had endangered the security of any EU Member State.

Bozhankov noted that there was a representative of the ruling political majority at this forum. "The ruling majority did not distance itself. We did not hear their categorical position as we did in Germany," he commented. He said that serious questions need to be raised with the Bulgarian security services and a basic consensus on the issue need to be reached.

Bulgarian media reported that Ivan Petkov MP of BSP-United Left, which is part of the government coalition, attended the forum. Kostadin Kostadinov, leader of the opposition Vazrazhdane party, led a delegation to the forum. He said he would hold talks regarding the sanctions on Lukoil.