During the last century, Bulgaria has twice rejected extremist ideology: first, with Germany's racist views on Jews during WWII [1], and second, with Soviet-imposed communism. Now, during Bulgaria’s first European Union presidency, it might be prudent for all other member states, especially the ones with a history of exporting radical social ideas, to take notice of Bulgaria’s talent to recognise and reject extremist ideology.
There is currently enormous turmoil in Bulgaria in response to the Istanbul Convention. The Istanbul Convention is a Council of Europe convention that opposes violence against women and domestic violence; it was opened for ratification on 11 May 2011, in Istanbul, Turkey.[2] The issue of ratifying it was brought before the Bulgarian government on 3 January 2018, and it has since been a divisive force both within Parliament and among the Bulgarian people. Proponents of the Convention claim that it aims to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence, which are ugly realities in Bulgarian society. However, socially conservative opponents argue that it introduces a currently unknown distinction between ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ in Bulgarian law, which could become an instrument for judicial enforcement of gender ideology.[3]
Gender ideology is the notion that gender reflects the social role of a person rather than being a biological fact. Accepting this ideology possibly has far-reaching consequences for society – from gender-neutral education in kindergartens to the use of public toilets. Until now, supporters of gender ideology have failed to scientifically prove the benefits of this novel social model.
The background of this issue is as follows. Near the end of 2017, the Society and Value Association (SVA), a socially conservative NGO, became aware that the Istanbul Convention was being prepared for government approval and formal ratification by the Bulgarian Parliament. The SVA and 39 other conservative NGOs communicated with the Prime Minister and four other ministers, informing them that the issue is far more complex than combating ‘violence against women’.[4] During the initial Government meeting, Tsetska Tsacheva (GERB), Bulgaria’s Minister of Justice, proposed the Convention for approval, with support from Ekaterina Zaharieva (GERB), the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Opinions expressed at the meeting were diverse, and Krasimir Karakachanov (United Patriots), the Minister of Defence, openly refused to support it. The votes were tallied 11 to 8 in favour of ratification, and the Convention was sent to Parliament for consideration.[5]
An emotional response from both sides, in the press and on social media, was sparked by the lack of unanimous support for the convention, the uncoordinated reactions of Zaharieva and Tsacheva, and the irrational fear among some Bulgarians of being overwhelmed by ‘transvestites from Iran’.[6]
Exacerbating the issue, the official German news broadcast, Deutsche Welle, unilaterally favoured the Convention. On 8 January, it published an article claiming that Bulgaria’s government was ‘not even capable of playing the role of a civilized European country’.[7]
This statement escalated Bulgaria’s emotional response to the situation. Influential bloggers (e.g. Alexander Urumov) compared it to the diplomatic pressure applied on Bulgaria to deport its Jews during WWII, citing from a secret report by Adolf Heinz Beckerle from 1943:
[The Bulgarian government] is restrained by the mentality of the Bulgarian people, which lacks the ideological enlightenment that we have [in Germany]. Having grown up with Armenians, Greeks, and Gypsies, the Bulgarians harbour no disadvantages against the Jews, which justify special measures against them...In any case, I think it is tactically wrong and incorrect; if we would exert stronger immediate pressure, it would impose responsibility on us, and, given the Bulgarian mentality, would produce the opposite of the desired effect.[8]
Bulgarian public figures and organisations (e.g. SVA) approached Deutsche Welle, the German embassy, and the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs to clarify the German position on that matter. Lack of response from these institutions increased the level of suspicion regarding German officials’ interference in Bulgarian matters.
Despite the unequivocal support for the Convention from the Party of European Socialists (PES), on 3 January 2018, Kornelya Ninova, leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), publicly announced that the BSP would not support the ratification of the Istanbul Convention. On 13 January, Sergei Stanishev, leader of the PES, came to Bulgaria asking the BSP general assembly to revoke its opposition to the Istanbul Convention. After an intense five-hour debate, the BSP voted 65 to 21 to oppose the Convention, despite rumours[9] that the PES might freeze the BSP’s membership if it did so. High ranking European politicians including Frans Timmermans, Nils Muižnieks, Maria Gabriel and Věra Jourová rushed to Sofia, trying to convince the BSP to change its position on the matter.
Furthering the appearance that this campaign was created based on a handbook for amateur politics, arguments in favour of the Convention ranged from ‘We have already made a commitment’ (Tsetska Tsacheva, 3 January), ‘Timmermans has sent a letter of congratulations’ (Tsetska Tsacheva, 3 January), ‘Why not?’ (Ekaterina Zaharieva, 14 January), and ‘Almost everyone has done it’ (Ekaterina Zaharieva, 14 January) to ‘Opposition to the Convention may harm Sergei Stanishev’s prospects for a second term as leader of PES’ (Eva Maydell-Paunova, 14 January).[10] The last argument only confirmed Bulgarians’ worst suspicions: that the ratification of the Convention was part of a larger, European-level deal, exchanging Bulgaria's sovereignty for enhanced career prospects for certain Bulgarian politicians.
To the Bulgarian public, the lack of any legislative initiative[11] from Tsacheva and Zaharieva (consecutively leading the Ministry of Justice since 2015) to improve Bulgarian laws against domestic violence seemed insincere, weakening their argument for ‘an urgent need to combat violence against women’. Many Bulgarians questioned the sudden rush to ratify the document only a year after it had been signed. In comparison, the UK signed the treaty six years ago, yet still has not ratified it.[12]
In the midst of Bulgaria’s debate as to the meanings of the terms ‘gender’ and ‘sex’, the Council of Europe further confused matters. In a desperate attempt to rescue the ratification, the Convention’s monitoring agency GREVIO announced that the translation provided to the Bulgarian government was ‘incorrect’, and that the Council would provide a new one,[13] despite the well-known fact that the Convention is to be signed in English and French. Notwithstanding being hardened by the performance of their own political leaders, Bulgarians were astonished to find European bureaucrats taking incompetence to a whole new level.
Additionally similar to the events of 1943, on 24 January 2018, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church rejected the Convention, officially opposing the Bulgarian Government for the second time since 864 A.D. and 75 years after their successful stand against the deportation of the Bulgarian Jews to the German death camps.[14]
After a fierce public discussion on 25 January 2018, two ministers (Ekaterina Zaharieva and Krasimir Karakachanov) announced that a broader debate on the issue is required and that the ratification by parliament would be postponed for at least a week.[15] The proponents’ lack of willingness to accept an urgent upgrade to local laws combating violence against women and a ratification after Bulgaria’s full compliance with the Convention’s requirements led the Bulgarian public to believe that the issue of violence against women had been taken hostage by gender ideologists.[16]
It is still unclear whether the Bulgarian Parliament will ratify the Istanbul Convention. If it does so, it will be against the will of the majority of Bulgarians.
Given the benefit of hindsight, it might have been better received had the national and international (e.g. DW, GREVIO) supporters of the Convention been more knowledgeable about the recommendations made by the SA-Obergruppenführer during WWII. The striking similarity between the arguments of the Third Reich and Bulgaria’s European partners served as a wake-up call for many Bulgarians. It is, however, interesting to discover that in regard to professionalism in analysis and action, the diplomats of the Third Reich were unequivocally superior to those currently promoting the Istanbul Convention.
28 January 2018, Sofia, Bulgaria
by Marin Guentchev, MD, PhD, DSc
Dr. Guentchev received his MD and PhD from the University of Vienna, Austria. He currently works as a full time neurosurgeon in Bulgaria and Germany. He opposes the ratification of the Istanbul Convention in Bulgaria.
www.drguentchev.com
________________
[1] Rescue of the Bulgarian Jews: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rescue_of_the_Bulgarian_Jews
[2] Istanbul Convention Action against violence against women and domestic violence: https://www.coe.int/en/web/istanbul-convention
[3] Над 40 организации подкрепиха Отвореното писмо за отхвърляне ратификацията на Истанбулската конвенция: http://www.sva.bg/104510741088108610871072/-30
[4] Над 40 организации подкрепиха Отвореното писмо за отхвърляне ратификацията на Истанбулската конвенция: http://www.sva.bg/104510741088108610871072/-30
[5] ‘Government to submit Istanbul Convention to parliament for ratification’: https://www.bnr.bg/en/post/100915673/government-to-submit-istanbul-convention-to-parliament-for-ratification
[6] ‘Bulgarian nationalists rock the cabinet, fearing “third sex” legitimisation’: http://bulgarianpresidency.eu/bulgarian-nationalists-rock-cabinet-fearing-third-sex-legitimisation/
[7] Истанбулската конвенция: видяхме какви хора управляват България DW 8.1.2018
[8] SA-Obergruppenführer Adolf Heinz Beckerle, Gesandter für Polizeiangelegenheiten in der Deutschen Botschaft in Sofia, zur "Judenfrage" in Bulgarien (Yad Vashem, Item ID: 3685932)
[9] БСП ще гласува против Истанбулската конвенци Дневник 13.01.2018: https://m.dnevnik.bg/politika/2018/01/13/3112108_bsp_shte_glasuva_protiv_istanbulskata_konvenciia/
[10] GERB - press conference, 14 January 2018: http://www.bta.bg/bg/gallery/image/4620148
[11] The last change of the Bulgarian law against domestic violence was on 3 July 2015: https://www.lex.bg/laws/ldoc/2135501151
[12] The UK policy on ratifying the Istanbul Convention on preventing violence against women
http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-7829
[13] Надяват се нов превод на български да спре спекулациите за Истанбулската конвенция http://btvnovinite.bg/article/bulgaria/nadjavat-se-nov-prevod-na-balgarski-da-spre-spekulaciite-za-istanbulskata-konvencija.html
[14] http://www.bg-patriarshia.bg/news.php?id=254326
[15] ГЕРБ отлага гласуването на Истанбулската конвенция http://glasove.com/categories/novini/news/cvetanov-otlagame-istanbulskata-konvenciya-obshtestvoto-beshe-seriozno-podvedeno
[16] http://glasove.com/categories/skandalyt/news/do-koga-shte-dyrzhim-zashtitata-na-zhenite-zalozhnik-na-dzhendyr-ideologiyata
There is currently enormous turmoil in Bulgaria in response to the Istanbul Convention. The Istanbul Convention is a Council of Europe convention that opposes violence against women and domestic violence; it was opened for ratification on 11 May 2011, in Istanbul, Turkey.[2] The issue of ratifying it was brought before the Bulgarian government on 3 January 2018, and it has since been a divisive force both within Parliament and among the Bulgarian people. Proponents of the Convention claim that it aims to prevent and combat violence against women and domestic violence, which are ugly realities in Bulgarian society. However, socially conservative opponents argue that it introduces a currently unknown distinction between ‘sex’ and ‘gender’ in Bulgarian law, which could become an instrument for judicial enforcement of gender ideology.[3]
Gender ideology is the notion that gender reflects the social role of a person rather than being a biological fact. Accepting this ideology possibly has far-reaching consequences for society – from gender-neutral education in kindergartens to the use of public toilets. Until now, supporters of gender ideology have failed to scientifically prove the benefits of this novel social model.
The background of this issue is as follows. Near the end of 2017, the Society and Value Association (SVA), a socially conservative NGO, became aware that the Istanbul Convention was being prepared for government approval and formal ratification by the Bulgarian Parliament. The SVA and 39 other conservative NGOs communicated with the Prime Minister and four other ministers, informing them that the issue is far more complex than combating ‘violence against women’.[4] During the initial Government meeting, Tsetska Tsacheva (GERB), Bulgaria’s Minister of Justice, proposed the Convention for approval, with support from Ekaterina Zaharieva (GERB), the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Opinions expressed at the meeting were diverse, and Krasimir Karakachanov (United Patriots), the Minister of Defence, openly refused to support it. The votes were tallied 11 to 8 in favour of ratification, and the Convention was sent to Parliament for consideration.[5]
An emotional response from both sides, in the press and on social media, was sparked by the lack of unanimous support for the convention, the uncoordinated reactions of Zaharieva and Tsacheva, and the irrational fear among some Bulgarians of being overwhelmed by ‘transvestites from Iran’.[6]
Exacerbating the issue, the official German news broadcast, Deutsche Welle, unilaterally favoured the Convention. On 8 January, it published an article claiming that Bulgaria’s government was ‘not even capable of playing the role of a civilized European country’.[7]
This statement escalated Bulgaria’s emotional response to the situation. Influential bloggers (e.g. Alexander Urumov) compared it to the diplomatic pressure applied on Bulgaria to deport its Jews during WWII, citing from a secret report by Adolf Heinz Beckerle from 1943:
[The Bulgarian government] is restrained by the mentality of the Bulgarian people, which lacks the ideological enlightenment that we have [in Germany]. Having grown up with Armenians, Greeks, and Gypsies, the Bulgarians harbour no disadvantages against the Jews, which justify special measures against them...In any case, I think it is tactically wrong and incorrect; if we would exert stronger immediate pressure, it would impose responsibility on us, and, given the Bulgarian mentality, would produce the opposite of the desired effect.[8]
Bulgarian public figures and organisations (e.g. SVA) approached Deutsche Welle, the German embassy, and the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs to clarify the German position on that matter. Lack of response from these institutions increased the level of suspicion regarding German officials’ interference in Bulgarian matters.
Despite the unequivocal support for the Convention from the Party of European Socialists (PES), on 3 January 2018, Kornelya Ninova, leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), publicly announced that the BSP would not support the ratification of the Istanbul Convention. On 13 January, Sergei Stanishev, leader of the PES, came to Bulgaria asking the BSP general assembly to revoke its opposition to the Istanbul Convention. After an intense five-hour debate, the BSP voted 65 to 21 to oppose the Convention, despite rumours[9] that the PES might freeze the BSP’s membership if it did so. High ranking European politicians including Frans Timmermans, Nils Muižnieks, Maria Gabriel and Věra Jourová rushed to Sofia, trying to convince the BSP to change its position on the matter.
Furthering the appearance that this campaign was created based on a handbook for amateur politics, arguments in favour of the Convention ranged from ‘We have already made a commitment’ (Tsetska Tsacheva, 3 January), ‘Timmermans has sent a letter of congratulations’ (Tsetska Tsacheva, 3 January), ‘Why not?’ (Ekaterina Zaharieva, 14 January), and ‘Almost everyone has done it’ (Ekaterina Zaharieva, 14 January) to ‘Opposition to the Convention may harm Sergei Stanishev’s prospects for a second term as leader of PES’ (Eva Maydell-Paunova, 14 January).[10] The last argument only confirmed Bulgarians’ worst suspicions: that the ratification of the Convention was part of a larger, European-level deal, exchanging Bulgaria's sovereignty for enhanced career prospects for certain Bulgarian politicians.
To the Bulgarian public, the lack of any legislative initiative[11] from Tsacheva and Zaharieva (consecutively leading the Ministry of Justice since 2015) to improve Bulgarian laws against domestic violence seemed insincere, weakening their argument for ‘an urgent need to combat violence against women’. Many Bulgarians questioned the sudden rush to ratify the document only a year after it had been signed. In comparison, the UK signed the treaty six years ago, yet still has not ratified it.[12]
In the midst of Bulgaria’s debate as to the meanings of the terms ‘gender’ and ‘sex’, the Council of Europe further confused matters. In a desperate attempt to rescue the ratification, the Convention’s monitoring agency GREVIO announced that the translation provided to the Bulgarian government was ‘incorrect’, and that the Council would provide a new one,[13] despite the well-known fact that the Convention is to be signed in English and French. Notwithstanding being hardened by the performance of their own political leaders, Bulgarians were astonished to find European bureaucrats taking incompetence to a whole new level.
Additionally similar to the events of 1943, on 24 January 2018, the Bulgarian Orthodox Church rejected the Convention, officially opposing the Bulgarian Government for the second time since 864 A.D. and 75 years after their successful stand against the deportation of the Bulgarian Jews to the German death camps.[14]
After a fierce public discussion on 25 January 2018, two ministers (Ekaterina Zaharieva and Krasimir Karakachanov) announced that a broader debate on the issue is required and that the ratification by parliament would be postponed for at least a week.[15] The proponents’ lack of willingness to accept an urgent upgrade to local laws combating violence against women and a ratification after Bulgaria’s full compliance with the Convention’s requirements led the Bulgarian public to believe that the issue of violence against women had been taken hostage by gender ideologists.[16]
It is still unclear whether the Bulgarian Parliament will ratify the Istanbul Convention. If it does so, it will be against the will of the majority of Bulgarians.
Given the benefit of hindsight, it might have been better received had the national and international (e.g. DW, GREVIO) supporters of the Convention been more knowledgeable about the recommendations made by the SA-Obergruppenführer during WWII. The striking similarity between the arguments of the Third Reich and Bulgaria’s European partners served as a wake-up call for many Bulgarians. It is, however, interesting to discover that in regard to professionalism in analysis and action, the diplomats of the Third Reich were unequivocally superior to those currently promoting the Istanbul Convention.
28 January 2018, Sofia, Bulgaria
by Marin Guentchev, MD, PhD, DSc
Dr. Guentchev received his MD and PhD from the University of Vienna, Austria. He currently works as a full time neurosurgeon in Bulgaria and Germany. He opposes the ratification of the Istanbul Convention in Bulgaria.
www.drguentchev.com
________________
[1] Rescue of the Bulgarian Jews: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rescue_of_the_Bulgarian_Jews
[2] Istanbul Convention Action against violence against women and domestic violence: https://www.coe.int/en/web/istanbul-convention
[3] Над 40 организации подкрепиха Отвореното писмо за отхвърляне ратификацията на Истанбулската конвенция: http://www.sva.bg/104510741088108610871072/-30
[4] Над 40 организации подкрепиха Отвореното писмо за отхвърляне ратификацията на Истанбулската конвенция: http://www.sva.bg/104510741088108610871072/-30
[5] ‘Government to submit Istanbul Convention to parliament for ratification’: https://www.bnr.bg/en/post/100915673/government-to-submit-istanbul-convention-to-parliament-for-ratification
[6] ‘Bulgarian nationalists rock the cabinet, fearing “third sex” legitimisation’: http://bulgarianpresidency.eu/bulgarian-nationalists-rock-cabinet-fearing-third-sex-legitimisation/
[7] Истанбулската конвенция: видяхме какви хора управляват България DW 8.1.2018
[8] SA-Obergruppenführer Adolf Heinz Beckerle, Gesandter für Polizeiangelegenheiten in der Deutschen Botschaft in Sofia, zur "Judenfrage" in Bulgarien (Yad Vashem, Item ID: 3685932)
[9] БСП ще гласува против Истанбулската конвенци Дневник 13.01.2018: https://m.dnevnik.bg/politika/2018/01/13/3112108_bsp_shte_glasuva_protiv_istanbulskata_konvenciia/
[10] GERB - press conference, 14 January 2018: http://www.bta.bg/bg/gallery/image/4620148
[11] The last change of the Bulgarian law against domestic violence was on 3 July 2015: https://www.lex.bg/laws/ldoc/2135501151
[12] The UK policy on ratifying the Istanbul Convention on preventing violence against women
http://researchbriefings.parliament.uk/ResearchBriefing/Summary/CBP-7829
[13] Надяват се нов превод на български да спре спекулациите за Истанбулската конвенция http://btvnovinite.bg/article/bulgaria/nadjavat-se-nov-prevod-na-balgarski-da-spre-spekulaciite-za-istanbulskata-konvencija.html
[14] http://www.bg-patriarshia.bg/news.php?id=254326
[15] ГЕРБ отлага гласуването на Истанбулската конвенция http://glasove.com/categories/novini/news/cvetanov-otlagame-istanbulskata-konvenciya-obshtestvoto-beshe-seriozno-podvedeno
[16] http://glasove.com/categories/skandalyt/news/do-koga-shte-dyrzhim-zashtitata-na-zhenite-zalozhnik-na-dzhendyr-ideologiyata
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