/ world today news/ DSB Chairman Ivan Kostov sent a congratulatory letter, on his own behalf and on behalf of the party, to Ms. Irina Bokova on the occasion of her election as Director General of UNESCO. “Your election to this prestigious post on the day of Bulgaria’s independence is an extremely high assessment for our country and restores our national self-confidence,” the text says. At the end of the letter, Ivan Kostov expresses confidence that the election of Irina Bokova will contribute to the preservation and promotion of Bulgaria’s rich cultural heritage. DSB Media Center, September 25, 2009, Sofia.
There is no error. You read that right. In 2009, Ivan Kostov wrote to Irina Bokova: “Your election to this prestigious post on the day of Bulgaria’s independence is an extremely high assessment for our country and restores our national self-esteem.”
It restores our national self-esteem.
How nicely Mr. Kostov said it. And not only on his own behalf, but on behalf of the DSB party, for which at that time about 235,000 people, all anti-communists, voted. I don’t remember any of them being outraged by the words of the DSB leader, nor have I read in the editions of “America for Bulgaria” shocked comments on the occasion of the election of Irina Bokova as Director General of UNESCO. What’s more, articles praising her appeared in “Capital”, written in the “best” traditions of the genre. Here’s a random quote:
Diplomacy in sheet music
In her childhood, during the period of pleated skirts, braids and ribbons, Irina had hopes … as a pianist. She did not reach the big podium and the concert grand piano in the “Bulgaria” hall, but the hours of exercises in scales and technical etudes instilled in her a sense of purpose, which subsequently helped her reach the stage of great diplomacy. Even now, whenever she has the opportunity, Bokova practices her forgotten performance skills on the piano presented by the collaborators at UNESCO for her 60th anniversary.
When she talks to someone, Irina Bokova always looks them in the eye. Listens without interrupting the interlocutor. Quickly analyzes what is said and sifts the chaff. Appreciates a witty joke, her laugh is contagious. Eats little, prefers fresh food, alcohol – rarely, likes freshly squeezed fruit juice. Bokova is constantly moving, walking fast. He swims late at night, skis in the winter. He does sports as much as he can. The sports hardening will be useful to her during the Olympic marathon, which is coming up.
“Capital” newspaper, August 16, 2014.
After all, Ivan Kostov’s letter to Bokova is a completely normal and adequate political reaction. However, today’s attack against her by the suddenly awakened anti-communists is not. Especially since her candidacy for UN Secretary General was officially supported by Boyko Borisov’s right-wing government.
Moreover, the action against Irina Bokova is political, not ideological. Having failed to defeat her nomination, people from the camp around Kristalina Georgieva, Rosen Plevneliev and the remnants of the DSB are trying to reduce her chances in the decisive battle for this post. The saturation of the Bulgarian media and the Internet with negative publications about Bokova should arm the possible opponents of her election with arguments.
I say possible, because until the last moment the countries and politicians on whom this choice depends will make calculations, conduct negotiations and “trade” their positions. If the echo of the native publications of the “outraged anti-communists” finds a place in authoritative Western publications, a scandalous halo will be created around the name of Irina Bokova, which will automatically reduce her chances. This is precisely the purpose of the furious attack, which intensified after Boyko Borisov finally confirmed Bokova’s nomination. This has nothing to do with anti-communism and is a opportunistic position that is completely destructive from the start.
Irina Bokova was nominated by the government of Plamen Oresharski, and the administration of Daniel Mitov fully supported her candidacy. Boyko Borisov’s prolonged silence on the issue, however, gave Kristalina Georgieva the opportunity to activate, and the camp around her to seriously sabotage Bulgaria’s official candidacy for the post of UN Secretary General.
Well-informed sources from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs tell how Kristalina Georgieva personally called Daniel Mitov to introduce himself, and put him in a rather uncomfortable situation, given that neither he nor his team at Vutsno had any doubts about Bokova’s candidacy and completely have supported her since the beginning of her mandate. And this is the normal political position in this case. There is hardly a professional politician in Bulgaria who does not know that the chance for our country to receive such a high international post is rare, it happens once in decades and it is a true manifestation of stupidity to be failed by the Bulgarians themselves. On top of that, with anti-communist pathos on the lips of people closely tied to the communist nomenclature and DS.
When Irina Bokova became the head of UNESCO seven years ago, and her opponents today found it wonderful, I wrote a commentary against this choice. In it I set forth the theses that I read today from people who at the time literally loathed anti-communism. They found it old-fashioned and old-fashioned. My comment was rather the result of the disappointment with the fact that the successors of the BKP and DS turned out to be the winners of the transition. In the text, the hurt emotion was the main motive, and the sense of injustice the fundamental thesis. My only argument against Irina Bokova was that she is her father’s daughter, which is no argument at all. In truth, neither then nor now can I think of anything else that could be said against this woman.
Then I wrote that her choice was a shame for Bulgaria, because I equated Bulgaria with my own idea of it. It never crossed my mind that at least 80% of Bulgarians approve of this choice and not only do they not find it shameful, but many of them are proud of it. And that the anti-communists are only a small part of the Bulgarian people. Now I think the shame is on all of us who voted for the blues over the years and who couldn’t air an alternative to the communist legacy. We are to blame, not the world conspiracy, the “eternal Amber” DS, Putin and the KGB. The biggest perversion, however, is today’s anti-communism of ex-communists, informers and Komsomol figures. Stalinka from First and foremost and Plevneliev from the Blagoevgrad BKP are today’s blades of anti-communism, because the American mainstream is like that. A real shame.
In fact, one of their mentors is Ivan Krastev, who is also the guru of journalism from “America for Bulgaria”. Ivan Krastev is the son of Ioto Krastev, a member of the Central Committee of the BKP and editor-in-chief of “Narodna Mjudce”. Thirty years ago, Ivan accepted the students from the Sofia English High School into the Komsomol. He was Komsomol secretary of the high school. He has been writing regularly for the New York Times for some time and is often listed among the most influential people in world politics. The latter is not at all exaggerated, and Krastev’s opinion reaches politicians of the rank of Angela Merkel. According to the logic of his wards today’s anti-communists, he has no right to this, and the agents “Ivaylo”, “Sasho-11”, “Albert” and so on should declare him as Putin’s fifth column in the heart of Soros. This is madness. Some kind of madness that has been unleashed with renewed vigor since the protests of the summer of 2013.
But let’s go back to Irina Bokova.
Her political opponents in Bulgaria did not have the courage to face a direct confrontation, and the insidious actions of Kristalina Georgeva comprehensively outline the intriguing image of the newly hatched anti-communists around Rosen Plevneliev, taken out of Ivo Prokopiev’s sleeve. Kristalina Georgieva herself this time failed to place herself in her favorite positive light. Her grandiose, unvarnished ambition came under the spotlight. The fact that he continues the media campaign against Bokova only to fail it betrays a petty character and painful envy. That is why I do not believe in this vulgar theater that tries to mask the personal ambitions of a few people as a nationwide wave of anti-communist indignation. There is none, and the current protester-style media hysteria is done only and only with a destructive goal – to prevent Irina Bokova from becoming UN Secretary General. This is stupid and ridiculous.
#Irina #Bokova #todays #anticommunists #DKMS
