Saturday, September 30, 2006

Dimitar Stoyanov, the child prodigy of the Ataka party

The Ataka party is the newest jewel in the crown of the Bulgarian democracy. I have devoted an earlier post to it and its fuhrer Volen Siderov (http://mayas-corner.blogspot.com/2006/04/volen-siderov.html).
The youngest member of the parliamentary group of the Ataka party is the student Dimitar Stoyanov. He is grandson of the late satirical writer Radoi Ralin, whose short poems mocking the Communist reality had made him a legend. He is also an informal stepson of Volen Siderov. (Stoyanov's mother has divorced his father, Radoi Ralin's son, and is now living with Siderov). You guess that with such relations, the young man's personal qualities were hardly decisive for his political career.
Last year, the election campaign in my district, Zaharna fabrika, was shaped by an ugly crime. A crowd of Gipsies attacked partying Bulgarians and beat to death one of them. Then, Ataka made a series of rallies in the district, gathering Bulgarian audience and supplying anti-Gipsy talk to it. Of course I didn't take part in these rallies, neither did my husband, but my mother in-law attended most of them. I know from her that Stoyanov was a regular speaker and was "talking very well". Indeed, she added, there was another student who was talking equally well, if not better, yet the party didn't include him in its parliamentary group. I commented that the other student had no famous grandfather and no mother sleeping with Volen Siderov, so his rhetorical abilities weren't enough to catapult him into the Parliament.
Later, Stoyanov was sent to the European Parliament as an observer. And here comes the present scandal. You can read a short version in English at http://www.sofiaecho.com/article/observer-from-bulgaria-causes-european-parliament-scandal/id_17938/catid_68. However, the report at http://www.dnes.bg/article.php?id=27977 (in Bulgarian, but look at it anyway to see Stoyanov's photo) is much more juicy, so I'm translating below.

"Two days after the EU decided about Bulgarian membership, Ataka MP Dimitar Stoyanov managed to create a racist scandal in the European Parliament... Invited to support the nomination of Hungarian member of Parliament of Roma origin Livia Jaroka for a human rights award, Stoyanov sent to his colleagues an e-mail to explain why he was against it.
Here is the text of the e-mail: "In my country, there are tens of thousands of Gipsy girls, much more beautiful than this respectable lady. In fact, if you are at the right place in the right time, you can even buy one (aged 12-13) to make her your loving wife. The best of them are very expensive - up to EUR 5000... Let's return to Miss Laroka's nomination. Believe me, I've seen many Gipsy women, but all of them at her age were much leaner. Doesn't she share the terrible suffering Roma people throughout Europe have to endure, the poverty, miserable conditions and unemployment?..."
...The mailbox of the Bulgarian observers was flooded by dozens of angry e-mails... In response, Siderov's stepson sent out a second e-mail presumed to be an apology. However, the scandal's author added to his apology accusation to the members of the European Parliament. Here is the text: "In the 21st century, to accuse somebody in racism is the gravest insult. According to Bulgarian law, if somebody is insulted and replies with an insult, charges against both can be dropped. I think this is what happened. Once again, I offer my sincere apology to Miss Livia Laroka... But I also feel insulted because I am not a racist, I am proud to be a Bulgarian, a member of Parliament and observer...""

No comment needed, I think.
By the way, my mother in-law first heard the story from me. Her reaction: "Unfortunately, this isn't very surprising. There are even rumours he is taking drugs."
It seems to be true that you cannot deceive people indefinitely!

8 comments:

programmer craig said...

So, by his logic, his racist remarks against the Hungarian Minister are erased by the critcism that he recieved from OTHER people, besides her? Even by his own reasoning, wouldn't it take a personal attack from her against him to balance the"insult" scales?

I think even LibyanWarrior wouldn't have such a bad brain spasm :P

I don't know what the laws are in EUrope, but comments like he made wouldn't be illegal in the US. They would almost certainly end somebody's career in politics though.

About how this guy got elected... I hate when race becomes an election issue here. They call it "playing the race card" and it drives me nuts. Seems to happen in at leasta couple get races every single November though.

PS - Why is he insulting her looks though? She looks fine to me... a lot better than most of our female politicians here in the US.

programmer craig said...

Highlander showed me how to do that, NBA! A long long time ago, way before you showed up :P

I'll send you an e-mail with the line you have to insert, I can't post it here because blogger will think I'm putting in a link.

Anonymous said...

I just discovered your blog..I have to tell you, I read a lot of blogs and your perspective on things are so refreshing. I'll be visiting regurarly. You sort of remind of this blogger:

http://allthingsbeautiful.com/

Maya M said...

For a woman, to be liked by men is not only vital for her personal happiness (to find a husband, I mean) but also is still, and probably will always be viewed by the society as the most important indicator of her success in life and personal value.
Therefore, when a mean man attacks a woman, he invariably says that she is ugly (remember Redneck's comment that enraged you at http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=25206081&postID=115880625016674991). Women and especially young girls must know this and pay no attention.
Stoyanov has at least 3 reasons to hate Jaroka. First, she is a Gipsy. Second, she is a woman, and men with his mindset despise women and value them only as sexual objects and incubators. Third, her nomination made him jealous. I see now that I must have translated a little more from Stoyanov's first e-mail (the source is the same, http://www.dnes.bg/article.php?id=27977):
"She has already received an award this year. But wait - for a youth leader? For God's sake, the respectable lady is almost 32! Most youth organizations accept members up to the age of 26. In my party, the cutoff is at 30. The respectable Miss Laroka doesn't fit again. I don't know, there are different types of growth, maybe she fits into some of them..."
You see? Stoyanov, who is 23 or 24, is evidently suffering because people have nominated the "old" Miss Jaroka and not him. He claims that her career is based on her being a Gipsy and it doesn't come to his head that EVEN IF this was true, it's better to be elected for being a Gipsy than for talking shit against Gipsies (and having good connections). He seems to think that he is in the European Parliament because of outstanding personal qualities.
I agree about the "race card". These things are dangerous. I've read Programmer Craig's comment on Highlander's blog about the race riots in Los Angeles (http://lonehighlander.blogspot.com/2006/09/ignorance-freudian-slip-or-calculated.html#comments) - it sounds so sad and scary. I remember my friend's comment at the time of the riots: "Civilization is just a thin layer of polish".

Anonymous said...

Why are gypos even allowed in the "European" parliament? What's next? Turks? Arabs?

Maya M said...

I cannot agree with the last comment. Gypsies have full right to be elected and so have people of Turkish and Arab origin, if they are citizens of EU countries.

Anonymous said...

I was looking for info on Stoyanov and I came across your blog.

I am a Hungarian from Romania and I was shocked when I heard all the mistakes this guy was making before Bulgaria even joined the EU.

Only today I found out that he is only 23! (born on 17th of May 1983). I am 25 myself and I am ashamed to be almost in the same generation as him...especially that most people hang on to the idea that a brighter future depends on the youth...well hopefully there are very few young men like him!

Anonymous said...

http://www.europarl.europa.eu/members/public/geoSearch/view.do?country=BG&partNumber=1&id=34254&language=EN

Dimitar STOYANOV
Identity, Tradition and Sovereignty Group
Member of the Bureau

Bulgaria

Attack Coalition
Born on 17 May 1983, Sofia


Member
Committee on Regional Development [See]
Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development [See]
Delegation for relations with the Mashreq countries [See]
Delegation to the Euro-Mediterranean Parliamentary Assembly



Parliamentary activities in plenary
Questions [See]
Motions for resolutions [See]
Speeches in plenary [See]



Declaration of financial interests (54 Kb) :


Parlement européen
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60, rue Wiertz / Wiertzstraat 60
B-1047 Bruxelles/Brussel
Tel. : +32 (0)2 28 45654
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WE SUPPORT 100% ALL THE ACTIVITIES OF DIMITAR STOYANOV !

HE WILL BE ELECTED AGAIN AS A CHIEF OF THE PARLIAMENTARY GROUP OF "ATAKA" IN THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT !