Bulgarian Parliament Speaker Says Yes to Mother Tongue Campaigning

Bulgarian Parliament Speaker Mihail Mikov has endorsed election campaigning in languages different than Bulgarian – provided that there is an interpreter available.

“I believe that, if there is an interpreter, the campaigning will be de facto in Bulgarian, too,” Mikov has told Darik radio.

On Friday, the Bulgarian Parliament rejected the possibility of election campaigning in any native language other than Bulgarian, fueling discontent in the predominantly ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms party, a member of the ruling coalition.

Mikov said Saturday that he disapproved of the move, stating that lawmakers had been misguided by “constant demons of suspicion” regarding some ethnic groups.