site.btaVolya and BSP Demand Deputy PM Simeonov's Resignation amid Nazi Salute Scandal

Volya and BSP Demand Deputy PM Simeonov's Resignation amid Nazi Salute Scandal

Sofia, May 18 (BTA) - The parliamentary Volya party on Thursday urged United Patriots Co-Chairman and Deputy Prime Minister Valeri Simeonov to withdraw from the executive branch of government after his recent statements in connection with an ongoing Nazi salute scandal. The Bulgarian Socialist Party joined Volya's call, with Alexander Simov MP arguing that "Valeri Simeonov has no place in the government."

The scandal broke out earlier this week after Pavel Tenev, then still Deputy Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, gained notoriety for an old photo of him doing the Nazi salute which went public and caused an outrage. Tenev had been nominated for the deputy minister's job by the United Patriots. He resigned amid the scandal. Tenev explained that the Nazi salute which he was photographed doing at the Grevin wax museum in Paris nine years ago was meant as a mockery, and said he was sorry for it. He was defended by Simeonov, who said that Tenev's Hitler salute was simply a joke.

The scandal snowballed after Simeonov spoke to the "Sega" daily in Tenev defence, reportedly saying that in the 1970s he himself, as a student, visited the Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany and may have taken all sorts of "fun-poking" pictures of himself there. But Simeonov later said he was misquoted by "Sega."

Presenting Thursday's call by the Volya party for Simeonov's resignation, the party leader, Vesselin Mareshki, said they will not make a formal proposal for the resignation. They expect the Deputy Prime Minister to quit of his own accord, or to be removed by Prime Minister Boyko Borissov. Mareshki said: "No one should joke about such things. This is a matter of personal responsibility."

Stefan Avgoustinov, a high-ranking Volya member, commented: "We find it unacceptable. You may recall that a few years ago the German President tendered his resignation over some suspicions. Others in Europe have resigned just for one careless word they have spoken. Why would we in Bulgaria brag about taking a certain kind of photos in Buchenwald?".

Avgoustinov recalled that Volya supported the coalition government of GERB and the United Patriots because they believed that Bulgaria needed a stable government.

Volya's reaction came a day after the Bulgarian Socialist Party called it an outrage that the Prime Minister did nothing about the scandal and pretended that nothing had happened.

Meanwhile, Boris Yachev MP of the United Patriots told journalists in the National Assembly lobby: "We see no scandal here, no drama. Valeri Simeonov will stay in the executive government. We do not intend to pull out any of our representatives from the executive." Yachev said this is the common position of his parliamentary group.

Yachev supported Simeonov's denial of the "Sega" quote. "I talked with Mr Valeri Simeonov. You know his position - no such words were said [about Buchenwald]. He will take legal action against the newspaper," Yachev said.

In a much-awaited reaction from the main ruling party, GERB Deputy Chairman Tsvetan Tsvetanov said: "The government needs to be stable. The Prime Minister will not tolerate such cases and such people being a part of the government team."

Tsvetanov added: "We apologize for the situations that have unfolded over the last 24 hours." He expects, though, that such scandals will continue to erupt and there will be provocations. Tsvetanov also said that he had a private conversation with Simeonov in which the Deputy Prime Minister denied having said the words about Buchenwald to "Sega."

GERB are adamant that Bulgaria will stay true to the Euro-Atlantic values and to its being a part of united Europe and NATO.