Bulgarian EU Observer Makes Anti-Romani Statements in European Parliament

18 May 2007

According to the newspaper EU Observer, on 29 September 2006, Bulgarian MP and EU Observer Dimitar Stoyanov made disparaging comments about Romani girls in the European Parliament. In reaction to a proposal to nominate the Hungarian Romani MEP Livia Jaroka for a prize honouring her human rights activities, Mr Stoyanov, a member of Bulgaria's nationalist Ataka party, stated in an email communication sent to all parliamentarians, "In my country there are tens of thousands of Gypsy girls way more beautiful than this honorable one. […] In fact, if you're in the right place at the right time you even can buy one, around 12 to13-years-old, to be your loving wife. The best of them are very expensive – up to 5000 EUR apiece, wow!" Mr Stoyanov's comments were condemned by the leader of the centre-right EPP group Hans-Gert Pottering, who suggested the Bulgarian authorities should withdraw Mr Stoyanov from the parliament as "there is no place for him among European politicians."

Mr Stoyanov later sent an apology to his colleagues, stating he did not want to offend Ms Jaroka but rather to "point out that in Bulgaria Gypsy girls are still sold like items by their parents." Bulgaria's Parliamentary spokesman Georgi Pirinski announced plans to convene a meeting of the Parliamentary Ethics Commission to determine whether or not to recall Mr Stoyanov from the EU.

In October 2006, the Bulgarian Parliament Ethics Commission denounced Mr Stoyanov's comments. Mr Stoyanov, however, remained representative of the Ataka party in the European Parliament.

(ERRC, EU Observer)