"Vazrazhdane" has once again proposed discussing a bill on foreign agents. And Peevski's MRF demanded the creation of a commission to investigate the "Sorosoids". What was the purpose of their manipulations and lies?
Every first Wednesday of the month, the agenda in parliament is at the proposal of the opposition. This was the case on February 5, and this gave the "Vazrazhdane" party the opportunity to propose once again discussing a bill on the registration of foreign agents.
Who are foreign agents?
The short answer is: these are all persons who have received or are receiving foreign funding.
The second item on the agenda was very close in meaning to the first. Delyan Peevski, sanctioned under the global Magnitsky Act, requested the creation of a temporary commission to investigate the "huge network of persons and structures" related to the activities of philanthropist George Soros's foundations in Bulgaria. Well, how else can we call the "Sorosoids" if not "foreign agents"!
We could end the stenographic reporting of the parliamentary day by saying that both proposals were not adopted.
Does this mean that "common sense" has prevailed? Does this mean that the representatives of the people are clearly aware of the manipulative rhetoric and outright lies contained in the motives of both the first and the second proposed bill?
Does this mean that they are aware of the real threat to all people with liberal professions who are engaged in charitable and public benefit activities, if the envisaged restrictions are implemented in practice?
It would be "publicly useful" to learn how many of the deputies of the pro-Russian party and their families in one way or another benefit from the work of the so-called "foreign agents" - in healthcare, in the education system, in the field of art. If we go in this direction, we will most likely end up with hypocrisy, similar to what our colleagues from bTV reached when they showed how vaccinated nationalists agitate against vaccines.
The draft law of the pro-Russian party "Vazrazhdane" on "foreign agents" is almost a copy of the "original" - the Russian law on foreign agents, condemned by the European Court of Human Rights.
And according to the spirit of this draft law, the "Sorosoids" are "foreign agents" par excellence.
This was the refrain of the subsequent debates in parliament, where yesterday third-rate scenes with familiar soloists and low-quality extras once again took place: physical clashes, insults, indecent gestures and compositional statements, repeated despite the remarks of the Speaker of Parliament Natalia Kiselova.
"Sorosoids", who will be excised like a tumor…
Last Thursday, Delyan Peevski, who was sanctioned under the global Magnitsky Act, "gave his word" that when he comes to power, "he will cleanse Bulgaria of the Soros", "he will brutally throw out these organizations" from the country.
The reasons for the creation of the "Temporary Commission to Establish Facts and Circumstances Regarding the Activities of George Soros and Alexander Soros and Their Foundations on the Territory of Bulgaria…" state: "The network of individuals and structures poses a threat to the legal order in the country, since these actions, given that they are financed and coordinated by George Soros and Alexander Soros and their foundations, are entirely in private interest".
Here are some of the expressions with which the MP from the DPS-NN, Yordan Tsonev, defended the need for an investigation into "this network of individuals and structures". It has "taken over the judiciary", "taken over the media", "taken over entire universities for the purpose of career advancement of teachers", "influenced political life", they are being implemented in power, and the influence of non-governmental organizations on the education system is the result of "misanthropic ideology".
Without having to do a lexical analysis of what was said, let's compare this style with a quote from the recent past:
"They corrupted our culture, destroyed literature, penetrated the theater, the sciences and the universities, hijacked the press, destroyed the legal system and the entire concept of honor, intervened in industry and turned the economy into a game of gambling. We must rid the country of them."
This is the text of a Nazi propaganda film distributed at a time when Joseph Goebbels - one of Adolf Hitler's closest associates - was rehearsing gestures and poses for his public crescendo and learning to use catchy slogans and subliminal signs to manipulate the population.
The propaganda film suggests that Jews - these foreign agents and harmful elements - are at the root of all evil in Hitler's National Socialist empire and must be brutally expelled from the country.
I'll stop here. You find the differences.
And for those who find it difficult, here are some final words:
The rhetoric against Soros' foundations in Bulgaria follows the classic propaganda techniques of totalitarian regimes. Through fear, disinformation and manipulation of public opinion, this model is reminiscent of Nazi propaganda films, which build the image of the "internal enemy" in order to consolidate power and eliminate critical voices.
Regarding the two unsupported projects at yesterday's meeting - let's not rejoice hastily. The parliamentary choreography created a false tension, the sole purpose of which is to divert the audience's attention from the urgent appointments in the regulatory bodies and from the criminal networks in the judiciary.
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This comment expresses the personal opinion of the author and may not coincide with the positions of the Bulgarian editorial office and the State Gazette as a whole.