Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Boyko Borissov is standing by his deputy, despite growing calls for Valeri Simeonov to step down, to maintain the stability of his government. 

Protests have erupted in several Bulgarian cities demanding Simeonov’s resignation after he insulted mothers of disabled children, calling them “a group of shrill women who speculated with their children, manipulated society, taking out in the streets those allegedly ill children in hot weather and rain”.

However, Borissov said he cannot ask for Simeonov’s resignation as this would lead to the government’s collapse, Mediapool.bg reported on October 22.

The prime minister said he can only ask his deputy to resign if this has been proposed by his junior coalition partner, the far-right United Patriots. Otherwise he risks breaching the coalition agreement, leading to the government’s collapse.

“What do you want me to do – to resign instead of Valeri Simeonov and throw the country into deep catastrophe? This won’t happen,” Mediapool quoted Borissov as telling a reporter while on a visit to the United Arab Emirates.

However, local analysts say that even if Simeonov's party quits the government, this will not lead to the fall of the government as other opposition parties in parliament will be willing to replace it in the ruling coalition.

“Conceived in sin”

Simeonov made the controversial comment following a meeting of the National Council for Tripartite Cooperation, which backed most sections of a new law for disabled people. The law has since been adopted by government, and is expected to ease the situation of disabled people and their relatives.

Previously, mothers of disabled children had been protesting for months, seeking fundamental reforms to Bulgaria’s system of assistance for people with disabilities. 

Simeonov claimed that the mothers used their children to achieve “purely materialistic goals” and that the law was “conceived in sin”.

The statement, which was initially made on Simeonov’s TV station Skat TV, went unnoticed until distributed by the satirical and investigative television show Lords of the Air late on October 18.

“We want the resignation of Valeri Simeonov from the post of deputy prime minister of the Republic of Bulgaria! Because of the shame every normal Bulgarian citizen feels due to his inadequate behaviour! Because of his systematic offences to members of society and the use of hate speech! Because he has turned the word “patriot” into offence! It is unacceptable that this man keeps representing the Bulgarian people,” the protesting mothers said on a Facebook post organising a protest in front of the Council of Ministers on October 22.

In an open letter to Borissov, the National Network for Children NGO urged him to dismiss Simeonov. The NGO, which is working with 149 organisations dedicated to children, said that Simeonov’s comments were unacceptable.

“This time your deputy went beyond every border of lack of understanding of his engagements, normality and simple human relations,” the NGO said. It also said that is withdrawing its support for the current government until Simeonov is removed from his post.

The protests in the Bulgarian capital Sofia and several major cities will continue in the following days after the first day of protest produced no results. 

Divided patriots

The United Patriots is a coalition between three far-right parties, the National Front for Salvation of Bulgaria (NFSB), the Bulgarian National Movement (VMRO) and Ataka. The coalition is leaded by the heads of the three parties – Simeonov of the NFSB, Krassimir Karakachanov of VMRO and Volen Siderov of Ataka.

Earlier on October 22, Siderov demanded an urgent session of the coalition council and Simeonov’s resignation. There has been no response to his demand. 

Siderov’s move was expected as the two have been locked in conflict for months, which recently increased significantly after Siderov said he wants to head the United Patriots' candidate list in the May 2019 European Parliament elections and Simeonov refused. Siderov has received support from former talk-show host Nikolay Barekov, who set up his own party and was elected MEP in 2015. According to local media, Barekov said that Siderov is the best recognised right-wing conservative politician in Bulgaria and that he should lead the list of MEP candidates.

This is not the first time Simeonov has sparked public anger with his highly controversial statements. He was previously found guilty of hate speech against Roma people in the country.