“Being left-wing means standing on the side of the weak against the stronger and looking at the common before the particular.“. This was stated by the Chairman of the National Assembly of the BSP Krum Zarkov during a debate on “Off Air“.
When asked about the protests in Western Europe, the socialist explained that the analyses conveniently ignored the hundreds of thousands of people who protested without breaking anything, and the reasons for this huge outburst of discontent, the latest in France, and not only there – and in Spain, Italy, Belgium.
Zarkov stated his support for the objective basis for the protests in France, but not for the arsons and destruction of other people's property, just as the students, high school students, and unions participating in the protests themselves do not support them.
“The deep question behind the protests there is in the deep crisis that both France and Europe are in - who will pay the price for the deficit: those who caused it or those who have nothing to do with it“, he also said.
The BSP leader emphasized that, unlike the left, the right believes that it is radical for young people to go out and demand more funds from the budget to go to their classrooms, to education. According to him, they believe that it is a threat to private property when there is opposition to pouring huge amounts of money into private corporations instead of public systems.
“After the neoliberal status quo is gone, two alternatives are emerging - one from the far right, the other from the very distinct left. Re-ideologization is coming and the left will win this debate. Capitalism will be mitigated and this is neither something scary nor something bad“, he added.
Asked about the qualities that a head of state should possess, Zarkov emphasized that he must have experience and knowledge of the way state institutions function in their nuances, so as not to make mistakes. “In the difficult moment that Bulgaria is in, especially in geopolitical terms, it is good to have a president who, in addition to being known by us, is also recognizable abroad, has his own authority. Of the current candidates, this is only Iliana Yotova. The presidency is not a place to start a political career.“, the socialist was categorical.
Zarkov stressed that the BSP has a serious attitude towards the presidential institution and in the last 35 years only it has managed to appoint presidents who have been re-elected for a second term.
When asked about the attacks against Yotova, Zarkov stressed that they began from the first day of the campaign, but in essence they are absolutely groundless and contradict common sense. He also recalled the position of the presidency, which states that all documentation on the case of the pardon of Ognyan Atanasov has been checked and no violations have been found in the work of the Pardons Commission.
On the topic of the war in Ukraine, Zarkov called on Bulgarian politicians not to play with this conflict and not to set their supporters to extremes that are obviously impossible. “There is a war in which people are dying, and it must stop. The main question is how to do this. Wars end in two ways - either with the capitulation of one of the parties, or with peace negotiations with the mediation of a third party. Capitulation by both countries is impossible and the only way is negotiations.“, said the BSP chairman.
According to him, Europe must come up with its own realistic initiative for an initial framework for the conversation, which takes into account both Ukraine's interest in preserving its independence and Russian interests - this is the reality and there cannot be another. “If this conflict is not ended, it will inevitably grow in our vicinity. If it affects only one European, NATO country, the consequences would be extremely serious.“, he was categorical.
Asked to comment on whether Putin is an aggressor, Zarkov emphasized that putting such a label automatically ends the possibility of sitting at the negotiating table, and does not help anyone. “Putting such a label on a head of state means that it should also be attached to the leaders of other countries such as the USA, Israel and a number of other countries. There is a UN provision that prohibits the use of force in international relations outside of UN Security Council resolutions, which is not present in any of these cases.“, Krum Zarkov concluded.