Bulgarian PM Clarifies Government Has No Role in Socialist Ministers’ Controversial China Visit

Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov clarified today that the trip of Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov and Minister of Regional Development Ivan Ivanov to China is a purely party (BSP) initiative, with no official involvement from the Bulgarian government. Speaking to journalists in Burgas, Zhelyazkov emphasized that both Zafirov and Ivanov are on paid annual leave, and their visit represents internal party activity rather than a government delegation.

“This is a party visit by members of the socialist party. I assume they are exchanging experiences with related parties in China,” the Prime Minister explained, stressing that neither he nor the Council of Ministers authorized or coordinated the trip. He noted that the coalition government (GERB, DPS-New Beginning, BSP, TISP) brings together parties with very different political profiles, united by common goals, and warned that conflating party actions with official government policy could undermine coalition stability.

The delegation, representing the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and led by Zafirov, includes two deputy ministers, Stefan Burdzhev from the Ministry of Agriculture and Food and Dora Yankova from the Ministry of Regional Development, as well as other party officials. During their visit, the group toured the infrastructure company Shandong Hi Speed, which has expressed interest in projects in Bulgaria, and will attend a military parade in Beijing on September 3, commemorating the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II. Heads of state, including Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-un, and Alexander Lukashenko, are expected to participate.

Right-wing opposition members sharply criticized the visit, arguing that attending such events alongside Russian and North Korean leaders damages Bulgaria’s standing in the EU and undermines its pro-Ukraine position. MPs Martin Dimitrov and Elisaveta Belobradova described the delegation’s presence in Beijing as “a huge blunder” and called for Prime Minister Zhelyazkov to publicly distance himself from Zafirov. Belobradova stressed that government representatives cannot engage in private party visits while holding official office without causing diplomatic confusion.

In response, Zhelyazkov reiterated that the trip is entirely a party matter and highlighted that the political consequences fall solely on the BSP. “The cabinet has no involvement in this visit,” he said. The BSP confirmed that the ministers are traveling on paid leave at personal expense and are not using state funds. Party leader Atanas Zafirov stressed the historical ties between the BSP and the Chinese Communist Party, noting that Bulgaria has maintained diplomatic relations with China for 75 years, valuing the ongoing dialogue between the two parties.

Zhelyazkov also addressed other government topics during his briefing. He denied rumors of impending increases in VAT or social security contributions, affirming that any change in taxation would be clearly communicated through official channels. Regarding the alleged GPS signal interference affecting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s flight to Plovdiv, he clarified that standard instrumental navigation was used and that the incident does not constitute a hybrid or cyber threat.