site.btaPM Zhelyazkov: When Metaphors Are Used in Political Discourse, They Must Be Accompanied by Clear Reference

Speaking at a news briefing in Podgorica on Monday during his official visit to Montenegro, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov commented on President Rumen Radev’s Unification Day address. "When metaphors are used in political discourse, they must be accompanied by a clear reference to a political opponent, political opponents or political alternatives," Zhelyazkov said.

In his address on September 6, President Radev said: "140 years after the Unification, Bulgarians are once again complaining about derebeys [from Turkish - feudal lords], and the Great Powers are once again negotiating spheres of influence. These are critical times, and we must acknowledge that there are political brokers willing to sell off our future in exchange for foreign approval, offering up our sovereignty, our treasury, even our identity."

The word derebey was recently introduced into Bulgaria’s political lexicon by Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) – New Beginning in reference to the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms, Zhelyazkov noted. 

Both political entities are splinter groups from the MRF, following a party rift that has been widely viewed as a struggle for internal control.

Zhelyazkov added that "etymologically, a derebey was an Ottoman lord rebellious against the Sultan." He noted that he does not know who the Sultan is in the analogy, or who these Ottoman lords are meant to represent.

The Prime Minister also refrained from making a political assessment of the President’s address. 

"Unification Day is a day when we must speak to the entire nation, to everyone, including those who dislike one another, those who hate or despise one another. It is a day of unity, a day to celebrate the strength the nation has found to come together - not only in a territorial sense, but spiritually, for the sake of the future," the Prime Minister said.