President Rumen Radev has been denied the right to respond by the German-language edition of Deutsche Welle for an article with “a number of allegations that are categorically untrue.” This was reported by Radev’s press service.
On the eve of the visit of the Bulgarian head of state to Germany, the German-language edition of Deutsche Welle published the article “The Two Faces of Rumen Radev.” The material does not meet professional ethics and journalistic standards President Rumen Radev, are definitely not true. Of course, the right of a free media is to interpret public processes, but when this analysis is based on false rumors and interpretations, the question arises about the reliability and integrity of the information provided. continue:
For this reason, on May 16, the press office of the head of state sent the right of reply to Deutsche Welle, and to date there is still no public reaction from the media. in respect of published material against which there is a reasoned objection that it suggests certain unreliable conclusions “.
Here is the full text of the letter sent by the presidency to the German Deutsche Welle:
Dear Mr. Limburg,
Dear Mr. Nering,
I am writing you this letter in connection with the one published on May 13 this year. article “The Two Faces of Rumen Radev” on the Deutsche Welle website.
I believe that informing the German public about topics related to Bulgaria is based on the responsibility of a public media outlet to the citizens of both countries. In this process, the facts should be leading, regardless of the bias and beliefs of analysts. Objective coverage is an important condition for establishing the image of each media as a reliable source of information. This importance grows even more when it comes to the perceptions it creates in the citizens of two friendly and allied countries.
In the article “The Two Faces of Rumen Radev” these principles are not observed and the conclusions made are based mainly on false suggestions and not on real facts.
The public and political opposition between President Rumen Radev and the government of former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov has essentially not faced “pro-Western and pro-Russian” opposites. These notions floated only in the foam of the political debate in Bulgaria, the aim of which was the attempt of the former rulers to cover up the categorical rejection by the head of state of the vicious corruption model of merging state institutions and business. By the way, this model of corruption was rejected by the Bulgarian voters in the last parliamentary elections and this could not have escaped the DW editors.
The suggestion in the article that President Radev draws support for his high political rating from successful ministers in the caretaker government, who now hold leading positions in the current Bulgarian government, is puzzling. DW should be aware that the president appoints ministers and that their work can only take place as a result of his trust and the fulfillment of the president’s priorities: fighting corruption, transparency and the rule of law.
The war in Ukraine and the numerous crises in Europe are generally undermining the credibility of the political class. But there is no logic in the claim that the Bulgarian president’s calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Ukraine, a return to dialogue and the prevention of Bulgaria’s direct involvement in the military conflict have led to an outflow of public confidence. All public opinion polls in Bulgaria clearly show that Bulgarian society categorically rejects alternative positions.
I would like to take this opportunity to remind you that President Rumen Radev condemned Russia’s aggression and war against Ukraine not during his visit to Prague on May 10, but on February 24 at his meeting of the institutions in Sofia. And this is not a one-time act by the head of state. The war in Ukraine is a huge threat to international peace and security, and its social and economic consequences are much stronger in Bulgaria than in Western Europe.
And just as it is true that Bulgaria is a “loyal ally”, it is equally true that as a “bearer of peace” in the EU and NATO, it can defend its positions and views. This is the democratic approach on which the allied relations are built and this will be, in the future, Rumen Radev’s constant position as head of state.
It is extremely important to understand that, unlike most European countries, Bulgaria has a huge historical diaspora in Ukraine. Hundreds of thousands of Bulgarians live in war zones today, and President Rumen Radev was the first political leader in Bulgaria to call for protective equipment for the population in those regions.
At the same time, the Bulgarian head of state categorically does not accept Bulgarian ammunition and lethal weapons to be exported, so that they are not used in the areas of fierce fighting, in which a large part of the ethnic Bulgarians in Ukraine are concentrated.
The thesis that President Rumen Radev has expressed a position against the allied support for enhanced protection of the Bulgarian airspace in the conditions of military conflict in the neighborhood is completely untrue. If the article was based on the public statements of the president and the official information published on the website of the presidential institution, and not on manipulative media interpretations, such false statements would not have been made. Moreover, as commander of the Bulgarian Air Force, it was Rumen Radev who organized the first joint mission to protect Bulgaria’s airspace with the allies. However, the question of whether the Bulgarian Air Force will be able to participate in such missions in the near future is on the agenda, and the head of state expects urgent measures from the responsible institutions in Bulgaria to solve this problem.
President Rumen Radev did not start his political career in Moscow, despite selfish suggestions, to “land” there. The re-election of the president in November 2021. is sufficient proof of the assessment that Bulgarian voters give to this helpless propaganda. The responsibility of the head of state Rumen Radev is before the Bulgarians who voted for him. However, as you know, other European politicians have chosen to represent Russian interests and capital, and German politicians are no exception.
Please consider this letter as the right of the Presidential Institution in Bulgaria to respond to the article in Deutsche Welle and to publish it on the media’s website.
With respect,
Kiril Atanasov
Secretary for Media Relations of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria
