Economist Evgeny Kanev commented on the revelations of the Anti-Corruption Fund about the affairs of GERB leader Boyko Borissov /BB/ with the Turkish Stream project. On this occasion, he shared the following post on Facebook:
„After the revelations announced a month ago about the real content of Rumen Radev’s agreement with Turkish energy company BOTAS, the media is now deafeningly silent again about the revelations of the Anti-Corruption Fund about BB’s affairs with the Turkish Stream project. Both projects are in favor of Putin – the first for BB to start, and the second for Radev – to finance the war. Both projects – with long-term and very heavy losses for Bulgaria.
One of the biggest curiosities for any outside observer of our political theater is that the more Putin gets bogged down in Ukraine and his own country, the more such news is silenced by the mainstream media. On the contrary, the wild schizophrenic hatred towards Ukraine and the West is increasingly voiced in the public space.
Any criticism of this pro-Putin speech is brought out as an accusation of lack of tolerance (!), any demand for objectivity is an attack on democracy, any reference to historical facts (as in the case of the Monument to the Soviet Army) is an attack on some of our sanctuaries. And all those with a critical attitude towards the role of Russia and the USSR in our history and politics are national traitors, outcasts, mother sellers.
All is based on the inverted mirror principle.
This phenomenon has a date of birth – Putin’s invasion of Crimea in 2014. Since then, the patriot movement has erupted as a disguised form of severing Bulgaria from Europe and its political and military alliances.
Since the war began and Putin compromised himself, national betrayal has shifted to those who do not share the Russian model of enforcing false patriotism, the ultimate goal of which is to uncritically perceive the power of the leader as synonymous with the Fatherland, and any criticism of it as betrayal of the fatherland.
The media constantly engage us with the vague suggestions of pro-Russian politicians – led by Radev – about patriotism and betrayal. And never with the real damage of their specific policies for Bulgaria. Because they „lack“ precisely a benchmark for national interest and hence which policies protect it and which betray it.
The real „benefit-cost“ analyzes of the undertaken energy projects remain far in the background, in which Russia is always – clearly or implicitly – the main player, and Bulgaria – just a subordinate territory for its interests. These interests are always our „national interests“, and whoever doubts is a national traitor. And from the …Unundertaken military projects to re-equip our army with NATO weapons – which are either blocked or attempts are made to buy another type – remember Radev’s furious tirades about the Gripen. This aircraft strangely today is not preferred by Ukraine over the old F-16s.
Let’s recall some such acts of „patriotism“ – just since we are EU members:
- 2006 – Ovcharov/BSP unilaterally changed the contract with „Gazprom“ to our detriment.
- 2008 – Parvanov „invented” Triple Slam – proven losing projects in exchange for even stronger Russian dependence on our energy.
- 2010 – Borissov „promised“ to build an interconnector with Greece, for which the previous government had already decided, and the EU had provided funding.
- 2011 – The NEC, on the order of BB, signed an annex for „Belene“, through which „Rosatom“ condemns us to pay them BGN 1.2 billion. The signatory of the annex later became a representative of the state’s golden share in „Lukoil“.
- 2012 – „Bulgartabac“ was sold for only 100 million euros to Russia’s VTB, despite stated interest from strategic investors.
- 2014 – Oresharski introduced a law on „South Stream“ with the support of BSP-MRF-Ataka, as the amendments of …“Gazprom“ were forgotten in the file submitted to Parliament.
- 2016 – With every scandal and tension over high fuel prices, inspections of gas stations were assigned to divert attention. The attempt to install meters on the refinery failed, and not long after, the head of customs who took this step leaves as well.
- 2019 – Borissov built „Turkish Stream“ in a little more than a year, the connector with Greece was still missing.
- 2019 – Bulgaria waived transit fees for 1.2 billion dollars – instead investing BGN 3 billion with a loan from „Gazprom“ for „Turkish Stream“, which had to be repaid over 15 years, during which time Bulgaria received nothing from the project. The EC sentenced us to pay a fine of 77 million euros for the fact that the capacity of the pipe is fully occupied by „Gazprom“ and their proxies.
- 2020 – Bulgaria refused an opportunity arranged by the EC to seek penalties for billions from Gazprom“.
- 2021 – According to the former Minister of Energy, in his capacity as Deputy Minister, he was summoned by the then Prime Minister Stefan Yanev to find out why he was against a scheme to drain 600 million BGN of state money to support the Maritsa Iztok 2 TPP. proposed by employers and trade unions.
- 2021 – The head of „Bulgargaz“, appointed by GERB and supported by Radev, decided to cancel an annex to buy much cheaper Azeri gas so that only Russian gas could be bought. The losses were BGN 1 million per day!
- 2022 – Radev’s cabinet used every opportunity to resume buying unprofitable and unsafe gas from „Gazprom“, as well as to compromise the possibility of „Bulgargaz“ suing „Gazprom“.
- 2023 – Radev signed a long-term disadvantageous contract with BOTAS, entirely in their favor, under which Turkey would resell Russian gas to us. Radev tried to sell even to Ukraine so that Ukraine could finance Russia’s war against itself!
The question is, has anything happened since the time when the spiritual father of these patriots said that friendship with the USSR is like the air and the sun for every living being? And as for the media, they’re still waiting for permission on what they can and can’t say on the subject.“
