Krasimir Donchev Karakachanov ( bg, Красимир Дончев Каракачанов ; born 29 March 1965) is a Bulgarian politician. He has been the leader of the
IMRO – Bulgarian National Movement
The IMRO – Bulgarian National Movement (IMRO–BNM; bg, ВМРО – Българско Национално Движение, translit=VMRO – Balgarsko Natsionalno Dvizhenie, VMRO–BND) is a national conservative political party in Bulg ...
since 1991.
Biography
Karakachanov says that he does not have any roots from the
Macedonian region, but as a historian he became a specialist on the
Macedonian issue
The region of Macedonia is known to have been inhabited since Paleolithic times.
Еarliest historical inhabitants
The earliest historical inhabitants of the region were the Pelasgians, the Bryges and the Thracians. The Pelasgians occupied ...
. Before the
Revolutions of 1989
The Revolutions of 1989, also known as the Fall of Communism, was a revolutionary wave that resulted in the end of most communist states in the world. Sometimes this revolutionary wave is also called the Fall of Nations or the Autumn of Natio ...
, Karakachanov, being a historian, was an informer of the
Committee for State Security on
Macedonian nationalism
Macedonian nationalism (, ) is a general grouping of nationalist ideas and concepts among ethnic Macedonians that were first formed in the late 19th century among separatists seeking the autonomy of the region of Macedonia from the Ottoman Emp ...
.
Karakachanov was a candidate in the
2011 Bulgarian presidential election
Presidential elections were held in Bulgaria on 23 October 2011, with a runoff held on 30 October 2011. Incumbent president Georgi Parvanov was not eligible for re-election; the Constitution of Bulgaria limits a president to two terms. No candid ...
, winning 1% of all votes cast in 10th place. Karakachanov took part in the
2014 European Parliament election
The 2014 European Parliament election was held in the European Union, from 22 to 25 May 2014.
It was the 8th parliamentary election since the first direct elections in 1979, and the first in which the European political parties fielded candid ...
as part of a coalition bloc with the
Bulgaria without Censorship political party. In late July 2014, Karakachanov's
IMRO – Bulgarian National Movement
The IMRO – Bulgarian National Movement (IMRO–BNM; bg, ВМРО – Българско Национално Движение, translit=VMRO – Balgarsko Natsionalno Dvizhenie, VMRO–BND) is a national conservative political party in Bulg ...
left the coalition to form a
Patriotic Front electoral alliance
An electoral alliance (also known as a bipartisan electoral agreement, electoral pact, electoral agreement, electoral coalition or electoral bloc) is an association of political party, political parties or individuals that exists solely to stand ...
together with
Valeri Simeonov
Valeri Simeonov Simeonov ( bg, Валери Симеонов Симеонов; born 14 March 1955) is a Bulgarian politician who is one of the leaders and founding members of the National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria.
Biography
Born in Do ...
's
National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria
The National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria ( bg, Национален фронт за спасение на България, Natsionalen front za spasenie na Bŭlgariya, NFSB), is an ultranationalist political party in Bulgaria.
History
...
. With Simeonov, he is the co-spokesman for the electoral bloc. Karakachanov stood as the candidate of the
United Patriots
The United Patriots (OP; bg, Обединени Патриоти; ОП, translit=Obedineni Patrioti; OP) was a nationalist electoral alliance in Bulgaria formed by three political parties: IMRO – Bulgarian National Movement (IMRO), Attack (unt ...
coalition in the
2016 Bulgarian presidential election
Presidential elections were held in Bulgaria on 6 November 2016, alongside a referendum on changes to the electoral system and political party funding. The second round was held on 13 November 2016, resulting in the victory of Rumen Radev.
Ele ...
, with the MP
Yavor Notev
Yavor Bozhilov Notev ( bg, Явор Божилов Нотев) is a Bulgarian politician, member of the Bulgarian political party "Attack." He is a deputy in the 43rd National Assembly of Bulgaria.
Biography
Yavor Notev was born on 10 July 1957 ...
of
Attack as his vice presidential candidate. They finished in third place with 573,016 votes or 14.97%. From 4 may 2017 to 21 may 2021 he was a deputy Prime minister for national security and Minister of defense in the then Government of
Boyko Borisov
Boyko Metodiev Borisov ( bg, Бойко Методиев Борисов, ; born 13 June 1959) is a Bulgarian politician who served as the prime minister of Bulgaria from 2009 to 2013, 2014 to 2017, and 2017 to 2021, making him Bulgaria's secon ...
.
Controversies
Karakachanov, who was Bulgarian deputy prime minister, used ''unsocialized gypsies'' to describe
Romani people
The Romani (also spelled Romany or Rromani , ), colloquially known as the Roma, are an Indo-Aryan ethnic group, traditionally nomadic itinerants. They live in Europe and Anatolia, and have diaspora populations located worldwide, with sig ...
in Bulgaria, a term critics said resembled Nazi terminology of ''asocial gypsies''.
During the
2020–2021 Bulgarian protests against the incumbent right-wing government, Karakachanov associated the protesters with
LGBT rights
Rights affecting lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people vary greatly by country or jurisdiction—encompassing everything from the legal recognition of same-sex marriage to the death penalty for homosexuality.
Notably, , 33 ...
activists, and was quoted as saying: "We cannot let a few ''
Sorosoid''
NGO
A non-governmental organization (NGO) or non-governmental organisation (see spelling differences) is an organization that generally is formed independent from government. They are typically nonprofit entities, and many of them are active in h ...
s and small parties, that are not even in the parliament, get in power and destroy the country. In the name of what? To introduce gay marriage and to create a gender republic."
After the-then prime minister
Bojko Borisov proposed the draft of a new constitution to appease the public, Karakachanov wrote: "I am certain that IMRO will defend its position on strengthening family values and marriage as a union between a man and a woman, as well as placing the family at the core of all normative documents related to the rights of children. The institution of marriage should be guaranteed and the protection against the introduction of a third, fifth, or a 30th gender should be explicit."
About a proposed reintroduction of compulsory military service for man, Karakachanov wrote: "This is one of the ways we will get our children away from the dangerous influence of gender ideology."
In response, the Sofia Pride Organisational Committee, Bilitis, Deystvie, and the GLAS Foundation called for condemnation of his statements.
References
1965 births
20th-century Bulgarian historians
Bulgarian nationalists
Candidates for President of Bulgaria
Deputy prime ministers of Bulgaria
Government ministers of Bulgaria
Defence ministers of Bulgaria
Living people
Members of the National Assembly (Bulgaria)
People from Ruse, Bulgaria
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