Bulgarian Top Cop Slams Nationalist Leader for Clash with US Ambassador

Bulgarian Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, is firm his party – GERB rules the country independently. Photo by BGNES

Accusations, coming from the leader of the far-right, nationalist Ataka party, Volen Siderov that US Ambassador, James Warlick, has threatened him are tarnishing the image of Bulgarian politicians, says Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov.

Tsvetanov spoke Saturday from the Black Sea resort Saints Konstantin and Elena, near the city of Varna.

A day ago, in the Parliament, Siderov demanded to be provided security, claiming that during a chance encounter with Warlick in a Sofia restaurant, the US Ambassador had vowed to destroy him after Siderov approached the diplomat with a request to the US to pay USD 2 B for the joint military bases in the country.

Tsvetanov pointed out partnership with the EU and NATO, of which Bulgaria is a member, must be a priority, and Siderov's behavior is not at the level of politicians who are part of a new Bulgaria.

"Any Ambassador, of any country, does not deserve such treatment, and such demonstration, on top of it made at a public place," Tsvetanov, who is also Deputy Prime Minister, declared.

The Minister further dismissed accusations from the right-wing Blue Coalition that his Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, GERB, party rules in a secret coalition with Ataka and the opposition ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms, DPS, as frivolous.

Tsvetanov pointed out such coalitions are a thing from the past and was firm GERB rules on their own, but certain independent Members of the Parliament support some of their policies.

The Minister was at the resort to open a Regional EU Conference of the senior citizens with the European People's Party, EPP, organized by GERB in partnership with the Hans Zeidel Foundation.

Earlier Saturday, President, Georgi Parvanov, also slammed Siderov's behavior.

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