Zhelyu Zhelev was not afraid and was very principled. This was revealed by the daughter of the first democratically elected president Stanka Zheleva. On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of the birth and 10 years since the death of Dr. Zhelyu Zhelev, she shared her memories of her father and commented on the definition that is often given to him - "too honest".
"Too honest, in my opinion, is ridiculous to say, because you cannot be a little honest or too honest - you are either honest or not. This is perhaps a big problem in politics. My father was simply honest. He hated lies and always repeated that even the ugliest truth is much more beautiful than the most beautiful lie. And this is something I try to tell my children. Being honest shows that you are not afraid", Zheleva was categorical in front of Bulgaria ON AIR, quoted by FOCUS.
"He never fought to be president, he never fought to be a politician, fame did not tempt him at all. He simply took on a very big responsibility, which cost him a lot on a personal level, because this was a continuation of his ideas, this was the way to realize the things he had always fought for", she also revealed.
When asked by Rosen Petrov what memories she has of that time as the president's daughter, Stanka Zheleva replied: "Oh, it's terrible. For me in particular, it was extremely unpleasant - first of all, that you lose your freedom, your independence, wherever you go, you cease to exist and instantly become the president's daughter in everyone's eyes. And accordingly, whether they like my father or not, the attitude towards you is predetermined. No one sees in you what you are. Something that, especially for me, is extremely damaging."
In the end, Zheleva summarized: "My father followed his ideas. He was honest with himself and with others. His strength was that he was not afraid. Something that we can say about very few people I know."