Comment by Alexander Detev:
Bulgaria is in a rather humiliating position - about a month ago it became clear that American visas for Romanians are being abolished. Thus, Bulgarians, along with citizens of Cyprus, remained the only ones in the European Union who need the document to visit the US.
But this is not the only reason why Bulgaria is in a humiliating position. Months after the start of a campaign with Maria Bakalova to increase the percentage of visa approvals, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stopped it, without even officially announcing the reasons - apparently guided by the maxim that Trump and Musk don't cut off a bowed head.
What's the story?
In order to increase the percentage of visa approvals, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs launched a campaign to help Bulgarians be better prepared for the visa application process and interviews. And it engaged in the campaign none other than the most famous Bulgarian in the US - actress Maria Bakalova, under the slogan "You don't need an Oscar to get a US visa". After all, Bakalova is a successful actress in Hollywood, nominated for an Oscar, has participated in a number of American productions and starred alongside Sacha Baron Cohen, Jeremy Strong, Eva Green, Sebastian Stan and who else.
The new Foreign Minister Georg Georgiev inherits the campaign, thanks Bakalova for her participation and publishes photos with her. In general, everything is going great - until one moment, when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs simply deletes Bakalova's image from the VizaAcademy pages, and her photo with Georgiev disappears from the MFA's social profiles.
The reason has not been officially announced, but it is not far from the mind to remember what it is - Bakalova rose to fame in Hollywood thanks to her role in "Borat 2", where she showed Trump's former lawyer Rudy Giuliani in a rather uncomfortable light. She also plays the role of US President's ex-wife Ivana Trump in "The Intern", which was also nominated for two Oscars. Trump did not like the biographical drama at all, even calling it "disgusting" and the director Ali Abbasi described as "human waste".
GERB leader Boyko Borisov spat out the stone and said that he himself had "advised" "for example, Sylvester Stallone" to be included in the campaign because he was very impressed with the Internet in Bulgaria. Stallone is one of the few popular Hollywood actors who support the current American president.
You don't need an Oscar, you need courage
A group of popular Bulgarian public figures who call themselves "patriots" but sound far more in love with authoritarian leaders like Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, were loudly outraged by Bakalova's inclusion in this campaign and Georgiev's photos with her. How can she, after all, have she allowed herself to participate in films critical of the new American president? How can she, haven't these films gone through ideological control? Obviously, this outrage has reached the leader of GERB, and through him to "his personal property" in the person of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Mr. Georgiev.
The removal of the campaign with Bakalova is scandalous for a number of reasons. First, taxpayers' money was spent on it and it must be implemented to the end. Second, the country is clearly once again operating according to a well-known vicious scheme - Boyko Borisov comes up with something and everyone backs it up. And third, it is completely unacceptable for the young Bulgarian actress to be "sacrificed" to please the political situation in the US - and that preventively, because there is no public information about a reaction from Washington. Should we expect the so-called patriotic forces in Bulgaria to rise up against American influence now and be outraged by this behavior of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs? Hardly. Did they rise up when the US froze the activities of USAID - a move that will increase poverty and social inequalities around the world and will lead to even more of their much-hated migration? The questions are rhetorical.
The new US administration is seeking to fundamentally change not only the US, but the entire international order. America is clearly not going to support its partners - at least not in the way Europe has been accustomed to for decades. Musk's threats to "Free Europe" and "Voice of America" are yet another example of this. Voters expect answers and determination from European leaders, not reactivity and collusion. This applies to everyone - including little Bulgaria and Georg Georgiev, although we have seen before that he does not collapse to kneel and kiss a hand.
You don't need an Oscar to have dignity. But you do need courage.