site.btaBulgaria Celebrates 136th Anniversary of Unification of Bulgarian Principality and Eastern Rumelia

September 6 (BTA) - On Monday, Bulgaria celebrated the 136th anniversary of the Unification of the Principality of Bulgaria and Eastern Rumelia. It is a public holiday, with observances held countrywide.

Eastern Rumelia was established on May 19, 1879 by the Berlin Treaty as an Ottoman autonomous province (vilayet) on 35,208 sq km of Bulgarian lands south of the Balkan Range, with the southern city of Plovdiv as its administrative centre. In a nearly bloodless military coup, local irredentists ousted the provincial government and reunited the territory with the Bulgarian Principality on September 6, 1885 in defiance of the Great Powers' settlement of the Eastern Question. The Union was eventually recognized by Turkey, Germany, Austria-Hungary, France, Great Britain, Italy and Russia by the April 5, 1886 Convention of Top-Khane. Under the Convention, the Prince of Bulgaria was appointed Governor General of Eastern Rumelia, thus keeping de jure the status of Eastern Rumelia as an Ottoman province despite its de facto administrative merger with the Principality. The Unification was legally finalized as late as in 1908, when Bulgaria declared its independence from the Ottoman Empire.

Even without the drama of bloodshed, the Unification opened up a new chapter in the development of the Bulgarian nation by bringing divided territories back together into a single state. It remains a symbol of an independent national cause which succeeded despite unfavourable circumstances in a world dominated by foreign influences and the diktat of external powers.

This year's commemorative events culminated with an observance and a military tattoo in Plovdiv (South Central Bulgaria) on Monday evening. President Rumen Radev and Vice President Iliana Iotova attended.

In his address, Radev said that among the lessons of the Unification of 136 years ago is that "it is time to cure ourselves of the complexes of political doom". "I believe that we have become mature enough to overcome all divisions in the name of democracy and the prosperity of the country," he said. "Our differences are not grounds for division but part of the richness and potential of the nation," he also said.

Military units joined the celebrations and memorial services were held across the country.

In an address on the occasion of Unification Day, National Assembly Chair Iva Miteva wrote, as quoted by Parliament's press centre: "On September 6, 1885, our people united in the upholding of its national interests and clearly stated its wish for Bulgarians to live together in a country of their own. The whole society stood by the common goal and showed that the realization of common causes requires unity. Unfortunately, the 46th National Assembly did not become an example of unity in the name of finding the solution of importance to the country. I believe that the political forces have drawn the necessary lessons and will be more constructive and open to dialogue in the next parliament in order to not disappoint Bulgarian citizens yet again."

GERB leader Boyko Borissov wrote in a Facebook post: "Today our country is divided by the one who is called upon to preserve its unity. The unifier of the nation [the President] has plunged it into hatred, insecurity and chaos. That is why we need unification now. To overcome the political crisis and start tackling the real challenges of our time."

Bulgarian Socialist Party leader Kornelia Ninova said in her address that "Our ancestors managed to unite in the name of a common ideal. We can do it, too." In her words, the Roman strategy "divide and conquer" is for those who want to rule over their people and weaken them"; "And for us, who want them to prosper, let it be: unite and develop."

In his address, Patriarch Neophyte wrote that "Unity Makes Strength" are emblematic words for which countless known and unknown patriotic Bulgarians have given their lives. In his words, "today it is as if the sacred words of our ancestors are nothing but a golden maxim decorating the entrance" of Parliament's buiding; "our society is led not by the principle of unity but by the spirit of division." The head of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church calls on Bulgarians to uproot the division in the public mind and follow the example of their predecessors who were united by faith, hope and love when they achieved the Unification in 1885.