"The spirits were preparing for a change," Dr. Petar Beron remarked to BNR on the occasion of the anniversary of November 10, 1989.
He is one of the most prominent modern scientists, successor and namesake of the author of the Fish Primer, but also one of the founders of "Ecoglasnost" and the Union of Democratic Forces (SDS), a participant in the National Round Table, which signed our new Constitution.
"We from "Ekoglasnost" we collected signatures in the kindergarten in front of "Crystal", recalls Dr. Beron.
"We collected the signatures, but we also had to submit them to the parliament. This had never happened before. I went to the town hall and stated that the next day a demonstration would pass under their windows, and security should be provided to avoid disturbances. The mayor was shocked, but organized detachments, on which they hung red ribbons, and we put on ours – blue. From there, the blue color later became the symbol of the SDS. On November 3, we set off with about 3,000 brave men towards the parliament. When we reached the square "Al. Nevsky", precisely at 5 p.m., the bells rang. The people wept and said: "It is finished!".
"However, we soon realized that the transformation of power is not an easy task. The communists had the money, the army, the militia and the secret services in their hands, and the people had nothing, but they did not want the old regime", recalls Peter Beron and adds that in order to avoid bloodshed, a National Round Table was formed, at which the main political forces – SDS and BKP – negotiate and sign a number of agreements that guarantee the peaceful development of the transition. A Grand National Assembly is also convened for the drafting of the Constitution:
"The Great National Assembly was a truly representative sample of society – there were the prisoners and their executioners, the best writers and musicians – such as Valeri Petrov, Kiril Marichkov, etc. We drafted a European constitution. Its first part is taken from the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU – freedom of speech, press, travel, etc. I wanted us to introduce a law on the duty of citizens to the country, but they did not agree, and each one of us is obliged to make efforts so that our country can prosper."
According to Dr. Peter Beron, in order to get out of the political crisis today, we need a national doctrine and a sense of national dignity.
This is also the reason why many quality, young people leave our country. "And what is the use of our democracy without Bulgarians?" – he asks. According to him, unlike at that time, now there is no "revolutionary situation", and tariqats of very low quality have taken up residence in the National Assembly.
People see all this and that's why they don't vote, says Dr. Beron.
"Confidence in the National Assembly is 6%, and they decide our fates…We must be part of the EU, but have a dignified demeanor, not do what the superiors say – Dr. Beron also points out. – To stand firm and show our vision, develop our projects and absorb the funds for them. Now they don't give us money because they don't trust us, not because we don't fulfill their orders", notes the scientist and points out that begging behavior does not suit us:
How free speech remained an unfulfilled dream for Bulgarian democracy
"Where are we today? We are where we have been for 13 centuries. Our country is the only one in Europe that has kept its name all this time. We are divided into Russophiles and people with Western beliefs, but we are one nation – we breathe the same air. We must help each other and take care of our country! It will be a shame if our country disappears because of carelessness and complacency. We have wonderful nature – in the most gracious part of the temperate zone – fertile land, mountains, sea, rivers, and industrious people. We are a people with dignity, history, traditions and a geographical location that is strategically important – these are trumps with which we can trade, but it is also necessary to learn to refuse", concluded Dr. Beron.