site.btaABV Leader Purvanov: Great Patriotic War Heroes Paved Way for United Europe

ABV Leader Purvanov: Great Patriotic War Heroes Paved Way for United Europe

Plovdiv, South Central Bulgaria, May 3 (BTA) - ABV leader Georgi
 Purvanov said on Sunday his party was launching a campaign
mottoed "Nothing is forgotten, no one is forgotten". The former
President (2002-2012) said this would be the party's tribute to
the heroes who fought in the Great Patriotic War. "Fascism was
defeated in the second phase of the war with the active
participation of Bulgarian soldiers," he said.

In Plovdiv, Purvanov laid flowers at the Monument to Alyosha,
dedicated to the Soviet Army.

Purvanov said: "Their heroism sparked processes in Europe which
led to the creation of the European Union and a united Europe.
Our presence here sends a signal to the Bulgarian and European
statesmen, to those who are trying to rewrite history, to those
who inexplicably refused to attend the Victory Day parade in
Moscow."

Commenting on the Holy Synod's decision that Simeon
Saxe-Coburg-Gotha will be mentioned as the king of all
Bulgarians in church services, Purvanov said the Bulgarians'
vote at the referendum of nearly 70 years ago should not be
revised. He said that 90 per cent of the people voted for the
republic, not for the monarchy, in September 1946. The
opposition parties also voted in the referendum. A month later
the opposition won 1.2 million votes in the elections of a Grand
 National Assembly. There can be no doubt whatsoever about the
Bulgarians' vote in favour of the republic, according to
Purvanov.