In my opinion, we cannot define Bulgaria as a classic fascist country, as we can say about the then fascist Italy or Nazi Germany. We can treat Bulgaria as a pro-Nazi, pro-fascist country, but Bulgaria was not a fascist country at the time, said DragiGjorgiev, co-chair of the joint commission on historical and educational issues.
In an interview with Radio Free Europe, Gjorgiev adds that the terms that can be used in this case and that should be debated without imposing our decision are the terms occupation, invasion, and even annexation, because these areas would be annexed to Bulgaria if the Axis forces had won, but not the term Bulgarian fascist occupation,” said Gjorgiev.
“Pro-fascist yes, but not fascist. Bulgaria is not a fascist country, in my opinion, but according to the views of many scholars in the West, there is no fascist system in Bulgaria. There is an authoritarian regime of Tsar Boris there, which suspends the work of the Bulgarian Parliament, but Bulgaria does not have a fascist regime. There are inside fascist movements, which have fascist ideas in them, but they are not within the Bulgarian state itself, in the structure of government bodies. So, from that aspect, the most appropriate would be the use of Bulgarian occupation, Bulgarian invasion”, explains Gjorgiev this part of the negotiations in the Joint Macedonian-Bulgarian Commission for Historical and Educational Issues.
Recently, the Bulgarian historian NikolayOvcharov said in an interview that there were fascist parties and organizations in Bulgaria, but the term “fascism” should be used very carefully.
