In the Case of UMO-Ilinden-Pirin, Bulgarian Politicians Followed Attack’s Lead Krassimir KANEV
W
henever the “Macedonian question” is brought up, Bulgarian political life is immediately swept by a powerful wave of hysteria. Such was the case with the proposals (from four MEPs from the Green faction) for an annex to the report of Geoffrey van Orden, saying that Bulgaria should recognize the Macedonian minority and stop creating obstacles to the registration of the UMO [United Macedonian Organization] Ilinden-Pirin political party. The proposal coincided with the Sofia City Court’s refusal to register the party. The latter, however, is a separate matter, worthy of a separate analysis. Here I will only examine the political reactions. They were as unanimous as they were incompetent and irrational. Suddenly, left and right merged into one. From Hristo Maleev of the “Zora” [“Dawn”] circle to Dimitar Abadjiev of the DSB [Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria party], the same cry arose: “Provocation!” For their part, the majority of Bulgarian media, also prejudiced and hysterical in no small measure when discussing the Macedonians in the past, seemingly outdid themselves this time. They forgot all of the rules about listening to the other side of the story, equal treatment of different points of view, separation of fact from commentary, and so on. In short, the atmosphere was similar to the one familiar from the time of the “rebirthing process” [vazroditelen protses] when politicians and the media sang with one voice, and Comrade Todor Zhivkov and his minions condemned the “national traitors” from lofty tribunes. Incidentally, the theme was essentially the same. Both then and now, it had to do with whether a group of people has the right to define their own ethnic identity the way they want to. Both then and now, someone fabricated some sort of “historical truth” and wanted to rub it in someone’s face, aided by the long arm of the state. Both then and now, some sort of external forces were imagined, hostile to Bulgaria and longing to destroy it. The situation today has apparently turned out totally absurd. At least back then, there was some putative retrogressive “bourgeoisie,” who plotted against the most progressive regime. Now, it turns out that we have just joined the European Union, and suddenly some members of the European Parliament have stabbed us in the back. Even if Bulgaria were not a party to the Framework Convention on the Protection of National Mi-
2 OBEKTIV
norities, it would still be bound under a number of other international agreements to recognize the selfdetermined ethnic identity of its citizens, as well as to ensure their equal treatment, regardless of their choice. This is not a question of some kind of collective rights of minorities, but of the individual right of everyone to belong to a given ethnic group or not. With all other derivative rights, including the right to freedom of association and peaceful assembly. The European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg has already found Bulgaria guilty of violating those rights five times, in cases filed by Bulgarian Macedonians. There are a few more cases currently being reviewed, and there is no doubt that the judgments will also be ones of condemnation. Even if the government sends the entire Historical Institute of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences to Strasbourg. In April 2006, the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities published a 35-page position paper, in which it called upon our country to extend the Convention’s protection to the Macedonian minority as well. For the simple reason that, as the paper reads, such a group exists and “claims a distinct ethnic identity.” The principles of international law on this point are the same as the principles of international law regarding religious freedom: you may repeat that “religion is the opiate of the people” all day long, but your are obligated to recognize every person’s right to profess one’s faith. You can repeat that the existence of Macedonians in Bulgaria (and Macedonia) is a conspiracy of the Comintern and the Yugoslav secret service, as much as you please, but you must recognize their existence and their rights, since there are people who have decided that that is what they are. Bulgarian politicians and pundits are having a hard time grasping these simple principles. It is quite likely (and more frighteningly so), that they are going with the murky flow of conformity and opportunism - as well as that of lack of courage and true democratic leadership. This is the same reason why the crude populism of “Attack” finds fertile ground in Bulgarian society; the loudmouth tickles the primitive instinct, the opportunist falls into step, and the enlightened remains silent, in order to avoid getting caught up in the “national rage.” History, both recent and more distant, provides us with numerous examples of how far the trickery of those who bear responsibility can go. As Elie Wiesel once said: “Indifference to evil is worse than evil, because it is also sterile.”