site.btaALDE President Van Baalen Meets MRF Leadership

Sofia, October 12 (BTA) - Hans Van Baalen, President of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Party, said that Europe should be made up by democratic parties along the centre, centre-right and centre-left spectrum, and that there is no place for extreme nationalism. He was speaking at news briefing in Parliament here on Thursday after a meeting with the leadership of the Movement for Rights and Freedom (MRF).

Van Baalen said: "There are examples from all over Europe that nationalist parties should not be part of government."

He said that Bulgaria is an important member of the European Union because it has always contributed to EU integration. Van Baalen added the MRF was a stable and democratic factor in Bulgarian politics. Van Baalen also said that the upcoming Bulgarian EU Presidency was not the job only of the government but of Parliament as well and that he counted on a democratic and accommodating presidency by Bulgaria.

MRF leader Mustafa Karadayi said that unlike Europe, the Netherlands, Germany and France, in Bulgaria the nationalists participate in the government needlessly and that GERB are trying to give then legitimacy and sometimes emulate them.

Karadayi said that the MRF stood by its conviction that it would support any government without the nationalists, even if it did not participate.