Liberal EP says Bulgaria’s far-right party must be banned

Bulgaria must consider outlawing the far-right and nationalist party Ataka over its recent attack on praying Muslims in Sofia, according to Guy Verhofstadt, leader of the liberations in European Parliament.

Verhofstadt, head of the group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats, condemned as “racist” the assault on the Muslims in the Banya Bashi mosque in Sofia, which happened last Friday while Ataka led by its leader Volen Siderov was staging a protest rally against the use of loudspeakers by the mosque.

“These xenophobic acts are a crime against basic human rights and threaten the unique Bulgarian ethnic model which is the cornerstone of the country’s democratic development. Ethnic tensions are already high in Bulgaria and this will only heighten this tension further. EU membership is based on a shared respect for fundamental rights, Bulgaria as a member of the EU should uphold and respect these principles,” Metin Kazak, Bulgarian MEP from DPS commented.