Bulgaria: double standards of the European Socialists

Commenting on the political situation in Bulgaria, the Chairman of the EPP Group made the following statement in plenary:

“The electoral campaign in Bulgaria is finished. I regret that it did not allow for a composed debate, programme versus programme. The results are plain to see. A government could be formed today.

In the quest for gaining a majority, the Bulgarian Socialists didn’t rule out the support – official or unofficial – of the ATAKA Party. If I am to believe your statements, you are ready to ‘swallow this bitter pill’. Chairman Swoboda, are you prepared to be hostage to Mr Stanishev, Chairman of the Bulgarian Socialist Party and the European Socialist Party?

Because this ‘bitter pill’ is called ATAKA, a nationalist and xenophobic Party which violently rejects Bulgaria’s European destination. Its leader sees ‘foreign investors and European ambassadors as colonisers who should be drummed out’!

I ask you Mr Swoboda: using the procedural system of the Parliament in Sofia to show your support, albeit covertly: is this not a ploy to compromise the government, notably vis-à-vis Europe? Are we seeing double standards here?

You chastise certain governments on the one hand and you ignore what others do on the other hand. This is not the vision of a responsible Europe that we defend.”

(Translation from the original French)