Bulgarian nationalist party pushes for Russian-esque ‘foreign agent’ law

Sofia: Bulgaria’s Revival party is once again pushing for legislation aimed at penalizing anyone who has received foreign funding, similar to Russia’s “foreign agent” law, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty reported.

However, several prominent members of Revival, including the wife of the party’s leader, Kostadin Kostadinov, appear to have benefited from the very foreign-funded programs they now oppose.

Russia’s “foreign agent” law, was first introduced in 2012 and later expanded. Some observers describe it as a model for governments seeking to suppress dissent. Supporters of the policy deem entities, such as certain NGOs as forces undermining their domestic political systems.

Earlier this year, Georgia’s government attempted to pass its own version of the law, sparking mass protests. In December 2023, Hungary’s parliament passed a similar law aimed at “protecting national sovereignty,” championed by nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Revival’s current focus on NGOs and individuals receiving foreign funds follows a recent legislative win.

The party successfully led efforts in Bulgaria’s National Assembly to ban gay propaganda in schools, according to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.

This is not Revival’s first attempt to address foreign funding. In 2022, the party proposed a milder version of the law targeting journalists with foreign backing, though it was rejected in parliament. Revival reintroduced the bill the following year but failed again.

Now, emboldened by its recent parliamentary success—achieved with support from some pro-EU parties—Revival is trying once more.

The new “foreign agent” proposal would require organizations, artists, journalists, and bloggers receiving foreign funds to register as “foreign agents” and bar them from working in state universities, commenting on political events, or participating in government projects.

Although the bill has not yet been formally introduced in the 240-member parliament, it has been discussed in two parliamentary committees.

There has been broad public scepticism about the role of NGOs among the Bulgarian public in recent years. An Alpha Research survey published in 2022 found that only one in seven Bulgarians trust such entities operating in the country.

Almost half of the respondents in a survey, or 46%, do not trust NGOs. Of those, 51% of the respondents cited the lack of information about the activities of the non-governmental sector as the leading reason for mistrust. One third of respondents point out the financing of non-governmental organizations comes from abroad.

Bulgarian political scientist Ognyan Minchev commented on Facebook that Revival is attempting to frame foreign grants as “dirty money.”

One of the most vocal supporters of the bill is Kosta Stoyanov, a Revival deputy and chair of the parliamentary Committee for Children, Youth, and Sports, which has reviewed the proposed legislation.

However, Stoyanov himself has benefited from foreign funding. According to his biography on the party’s website, he was executive director of an NGO that received EU grants for local projects from 2018 to 2022. He was also involved in managing EU funds and continues to assess Bulgarian projects for EU programs.

Another Revival deputy, Angel Yanchev, has also benefited from foreign-funded programs during his career, despite his harsh criticism of U.S.-funded educational foundations in Bulgaria, which he claims undermine the country’s values.

Yanchev, a former history teacher and school principal, participated in training programs funded by the America for Bulgaria Foundation, which aims to strengthen Bulgaria’s private sector and democratic institutions.

Additionally, Velina Kostadinova, wife of Revival’s leader, sits on the board of an educational NGO in Varna that has received grants from foreign donors, including the Soros Open Society Institute and various other international partners.