site.btaJunior Ruling Coalition Member Slams Opposition MP for Voting "Anti-Bulgarian" on PACE Resolution

The There Is Such a People (TISP) Parliamentary Group (part of the pro-government majority) on Thursday demanded an explanation from Nadejda Iordanova MP of the opposition Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria for abstaining when on Wednesday the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a resolution ending its post-monitoring dialogue with Bulgaria.

The demand came in a declaration that TISP Deputy Floor Leader Stanislav Balabanov read from the National Assembly rostrum.

"Yesterday, after 27 years, PACE's monitoring was closed, which means that Bulgaria has fulfilled all conditions set by the Council of Europe and is its rightful member. It means that Bulgaria is not a second-class state," the declaration reads. "The report has also dropped the wording 'ethnic Macedonians in Bulgaria', thanks to the efforts of all Bulgarian parties, institutions and representatives in PACE. Each and every Bulgarian representative in PACE who is part of the European political families succeeded in convincing their colleagues that Bulgaria is right, which is why the EPP [European People's Party], the Conservatives and the Socialists all stood behind us and backed us on this account," Balabanov said.

He noted that the vote on the resolution was 101 in favour, 3 against and 1 abstention. He described these voting results as "staggering in favour of Bulgaria", adding that, logically, those who voted against were the representatives of North Macedonia. "Still, there is something else, which is incomprehensible and evokes disgust, perplexity and sheer contempt: one abstention," Balabanov said. 

"The sad truth is that the abstention vote came from a Bulgarian - the representative of Democratic Bulgaria Nadejda Iordanova. There is no more anti-Bulgarian vote than this," Balabanov insisted, urging Iordanova to explain her move to the National Assembly. "Why are you working and will you continue to work against Bulgaria's interests while your party continues to call itself ardently 'Democratic Bulgaria'?" he asked. 

On Wednesday, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) resolved "to close the post-monitoring dialogue with Bulgaria and follow the developments in the country with regard to the rule of law, pluralist democracy and human rights in the framework of its periodic reviews."