Bulgarian deputy PM ‘private’ handshake with China’s Xi sparks outrage in Sofia

Bulgarian deputy prime minister Atanas Zafirov’s visit to China has turned into a huge scandal in Sofia. Zafirov attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation forum and the military parade in Beijing on 3 September, apparently without informing the Prime Minister.

Zafirov is the leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), a junior coalition party in the government led by Boyko Borissov’s GERB party (EPP-affiliated). Reportedly he went to China at the invitation of this country’s Communist Party, and the scandal unfolded as it became known that an entire party delegation with other members of the executive branch had traveled to Beijing.

Bulgarians wonder how is it possible that a deputy PM attends events starring the Russian President Vladimir Putin, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un and his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko.

The BSP press center released a photo of Chinese leader Xi Jinping shaking hands with Zafirov. They also released a video of the “conversation” between the two – lasting 3 seconds.

The Chinese visit also includes other members of the executive branch, in addition to Deputy Prime Minister Zafirov – the Minister of Regional Development Ivan Ivanov, his deputy Dora Yankova, and Deputy Minister of Agriculture Stefan Burdzhev. Also present were the Deputy Chairman of the BSP Kaloyan Pargov and the Mayor of Peshtera Yordan Mladenov, who is a member of the Executive Bureau of the Left.

Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov explained that his subordinate ministers and deputy ministers were on annual leave, and that he learned about their departure for China from the media.

“I saw that they were in China on an official party visit – I assume that as related socialist parties they are exchanging experiences… They were neither seconded by me, nor by the Council of Ministers, nor did the government have any involvement in the party initiatives of one of its coalition partners,” Zhelyazkov commented.

His words triggered even bigger outrage, because in Sofia they claim that the visit is at party level, while the Chinese authorities announced that Bulgaria is among the 25 countries that have officially confirmed their presence at the military parade.

The opposition called for the resignation of Zafirov in his capacity as deputy prime minister. Elisaveta Belobradova, a member of parliament from ‘We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB)’ made ironic comments saying that Bulgaria’s foreign policy is divided into days when one is at work and his days off.

“During his vacation, Zafirov is anti-NATO, anti-national policy of Bulgaria, anti-democratic. But when he is at work, he knocks on doors, shouts “When will you release money from the EU?” And he goes to European meetings, because in the end, what is the point of being part of the European Union if you don’t pretend to be a big European with other European leaders”, she quipped.

Ivaylo Mirchev, co-chair of the “Yes, Bulgaria” party, part of the PP-DB coalition, also called for the resignation of Zafirov. “If he doesn’t want the humiliation to continue, the prime minister himself must demand his resignation. When Bulgaria swears everywhere that it looks to the West, there is no option for a Bulgarian deputy prime minister to be at such an event in China,” Mirchev commented.

“In what capacity did Zafirov shake the hand of the Chinese leader – as Atanas from Burgas or as Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Bulgaria?”, Mirchev asked a rhetorical question.

It also remains unclear who paid for the visit. Who pays The BSP press center announced that the visit to China was official, but Zafirov, Ivanov, Burdzhev and Yankova did not receive party money, their visit was at their own expense, the press center of the party claims. Many believe that Beijing paid all expenses.

Caption: A videograb of Atanas Zafirov shaking hands with Xi Jinping released by the Bulgarian Socialist Party.