I have no intention of resigning, because there is no reason for it. This was stated by the Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) Atanas Zafirov, after one was requested by the PP-DB parliamentary group due to his presence at the military parade in China. He announced that he had accepted the invitation as a matter of protocol long before the participants in the event became clear. What did Zafirov show with his visit … Prof. Tatyana Dronzina - lecturer at the Department of "Political Science" at the Faculty of Philosophy of the Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski", conflict resolution expert.
- Ms. Dronzina, the military parade in China has become world news. Fact... But with Bulgarian participation?
- Let's see what kind of event the parade was. In the doctrine of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the greatness of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) stems both from defending China against external aggressors and from its role in ensuring security and peace at home. That is why military parades are loaded with deep symbolism. China's military parade on September 3, held to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the War of Resistance Against Japan, will be the fourth such event since President Xi Jinping came to power. Today's context, however, is different. The country is facing economic difficulties, but its military power continues to grow. Abroad, relations with the West - especially the United States - are increasingly tense as the postwar international order is reshaped under the pressure of the war between Russia and Ukraine. This year’s parade is therefore not just a ceremonial clash of arms. It is a carefully orchestrated act of strategic communication, weaving messages of military power, diplomatic positioning, and historical narratives aimed at audiences both at home and abroad. The Victory Day parade, marking the 80th anniversary of the “Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War,” was a display of China’s modern military might and a glimpse into its future. Symbolically, it is an attempt to challenge the monopolization of historical memory, which mentions only Russia, the United States, and the other allies as the victors of World War II, but says nothing about its end in Asia. Unlike Xi Jinping’s vision of a happy world of mutually beneficial cooperation, the military parade suggests the possibility that someone will lose, and it won’t be China. More Maoist than ever, Xi used this flashy display of Chinese military might to remind his global audience – and the United States in particular – that Beijing’s quest for global supremacy rests on a solid foundation – namely, its expanding military machine. Today, the vast country is an innovator and technological leader in robotics, electric vehicles, nuclear reactors, solar power, drones, high-speed rail, and artificial intelligence. China shows every indication that it wants its own military-industrial complex. And the Chinese leadership has publicly stated its ambition to build a world-class military by mid-century. Of course, that requires more than just technology, and the recent wave of purges of senior officers suggests that there are serious problems with corruption and productivity within the PLA.
- Who was and wasn’t at this parade?
- Both questions are equally important. It wasn't the Western leaders, of course, with the exception of Fico (b.r. - the prime minister of Slovakia), who the European Commission said did not represent the EU in his talks with Putin and on his visit to China, as well as the Hungarian foreign minister, Péter Szijjártó, the most pro-Russian member of the cabinet. In this slender line are our mercies.
From European and Western-oriented countries were: Former Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr; Former Premier of the State of Victoria, Australia — Daniel Andrews; Former Prime Ministers of New Zealand — John Key and Helen Clark; Former Prime Minister of Japan — Yukio Hatoyama; Former Prime Ministers of Greece (Georgios Papandreou), Italy (Massimo D'Alema) and Romania (Adrian Nastase and Virginia Dancila); Former President of Switzerland — Ueli Maurer; Former Prime Minister of Belgium — Yves Leterme, former President of Brazil Dilma Rousseff. As you can see, all are former and no one dared to discuss interstate relations. After participating in the parade on September 3, 2025, Helen Clark told the media that she avoided talking to Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-un and Alexander Lukashenko. This highlights her awareness of the geopolitical context of the event. Bob Carr made brief comments, but they were in relation to not attending the huge military parade in person — preferring other moments within the framework of Chinese official events. He stressed the importance of respecting China's contribution to World War II.
Daniel Andrews issued a statement, after criticism that he was a “useful idiot”, defending his presence, stating that he had been personally invited and that it was important to maintain good relations with China, Australia's main trading partner.
As you can see, neither of them dared to discuss interstate relations, and Dilma Rousseff and the Japanese prime minister remained completely silent. A strong Balkan breeze was felt in the statements of the two former leaders of Romania. Adrian Nastase, in a post on his blog, explained that he attended the parade "in his capacity as a former statesman", at the invitation of the Chinese authorities, to participate in the celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of the victory over Japan and fascism in World War II. In his conversation with Deputy Minister Sun Haiyan, Nastase also discussed current international political topics such as the war in Ukraine and relations between China, Russia and India. Viorica Dancila, in an interview with Gândul, stated that "I do not make the guest list of the President of the People's Republic of China" - by which she wanted to emphasize that she was invited, not part of the organizers. She also added that it was important for her to be invited by such an influential world leader and that at the event itself she only congratulated the President of China and his wife. In a follow-up interview with Observator, Dancila stated: “I cannot represent Romania because I do not hold a position that gives me this right... I am invited as a former prime minister and a person who has had good relations with both China and the US and other countries“. She added that “we must have relations based on development with all influential countries” and we must not isolate ourselves. On the other hand, the official Romanian reaction was truly European.
Foreign Minister Oana Coiu strongly criticized Năstase and Dancila, stating: “Romania is not and cannot be represented by politicians who today are proud to sit next to Putin“.
She stressed that this serves as a signal of an attempt to influence Romania — but has succeeded in showing that their relations belong to the past, not to the future of the country. The Minister of National Defense assessed their presence even more critically, defining it as “a slap in the face to Romania, democracy and its pro-European future“.
- Atanas Zafirov was on the official rostrum next to Chinese President Xi Jinping and held a conversation with him. Where does Bulgaria position itself in this context?
- We have also reached our mercy. I leave aside the personal morality of Mr. Atanas Zafirov. Still, I cannot help but ask him what exactly is the pleasure of walking on a square where years ago between 300 and 3,000 Chinese students were massacred, we do not know their exact number until now, because the Chinese are discreetly silent. Does he happen to be aroused by something in his communication with Cuban President Diaz-Canel, who reduced his people to a beggar's stick and forced 3 million Cubans to emigrate in the last few years? The Cubans were poor and happy… but another time. Or is he satisfied with communicating with the representative of the Nicaraguan government, which a few years ago killed several hundred peacefully protesting students? His communication with Putin and Kim is another, more painful topic, or at least it should be for us as a country declared by Russia as an enemy.
- Also, Atanas Zafirov was introduced with his state, not his party, post. Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov did not know about such a visit…
- I just don't know how he even got the idea that he should take part in the parade. He may be there as a party activist, but world public opinion perceives him as the Deputy Prime Minister of Bulgaria, from which the simple conclusion follows that our country is officially represented at an event that serves neither our goals nor those of our allies. On top of all that, he is accompanied by another acting minister. The Prime Minister stated that the visit was a party initiative and the cabinet had nothing to do with it. He added that Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov and Minister Ivan Ivanov are on paid annual leave. So what if they are on paid annual leave? Could it be that they suffer from a split personality - one time they are party activists, the second - state? I did not hear a single gram of criticism from either the Prime Minister or the cabinet, after all they are members of the cabinet. My criticism would have been much harsher, but I will refrain from it because I am convinced that we do not need early elections before the adoption of the euro.
- Is there a disagreement in the government after the prime minister learns things related to the coalition partners after the fact…
- I am not an expert on domestic political issues, so I will not comment.
- The BSP explained that the visit would help improve relations in China, which have been stagnant recently. They will “wake up” How will the relations between the two countries change after this meeting?
- For the short-tempered, I would like to remind you of what a young Bulgarian scientist wrote some time ago: “Cherry orchards and vineyards should have been planted, factories for tractors, electric buses, lighting fixtures, glass factories, electronics, industrial zones and logistics hubs should have been built, goods should have been moved along highways built by China, tunnels under the Stara Planina Mountains and bridges over the Danube and taken off from modern cargo airports in Stara Zagora and Haskovo. In general, we should have become the little Germany of the Balkans, and all this with the help of China.“ But a eater, right? What about the 15+1 initiative (a format for cooperation between China and Eastern Europe), which was loudly announced and is now quietly fading away? According to data from the Bulgarian National Bank for the period 2014-2024, net direct investments (net flow) from China to Bulgaria amounted to 185.4 million euros. How much money do we receive from the EU? I will not mention the number of billions so as not to insult the intelligence of the readers. How long does it take for us to look at the tame and stop chasing the wild? Well, tell me now how the presence of the two Bulgarian figures changed the situation? Or are we simply ready to feel like we are at a party meeting among ideological brothers?
- Russia, China, North Korea and representatives of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, and in our country, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, says that 1/3 of the weapons for Ukraine were produced in Bulgaria. What kind of foreign policy is this…
- And why did Ursula von der Leyen have to tell us this, instead of the Bulgarian government turning this fact into a serious trump card for negotiations with our EU and NATO allies? This is simply a lack of foreign policy.
- Who needed this visit at this very moment and what are we showing with it?
- The visit of the two Bulgarian acting government figures to China is a perfectly played hybrid. If they invented it themselves, so much the worse for the BSP. This only shows that the Russian propaganda machine has created for them the perfect conditioned reflexes - you don't need to give them candy, it's enough for them to hear the whistle to launch into action against Bulgaria's national interest. This is the principle of any training, right? It seems that the role of the trained fascinates them.