Pro-Russia Protesters Vandalise European Commission HQ in Bulgaria

The House of Europe in Sofia on Sunday. Photo: Ivan Shishiev, https://www.facebook.com/etiuditenasofia.

"Such acts [are] … an incompatible counterweight to present-day Bulgaria, as well as to the democratic values that our country epitomises," the ministry stated. 

During the rally, where Russian flags were waved, blood-red paint was thrown at the House of Europe's facade, likely a reference to the far-right party Revival's framing of the US, the EU and Western Europe as the true aggressors in Ukraine.

The demonstration, promoted as a peace march, gathered around 1,000 members and supporters of the pro-Kremlin Revival party and the Bulgarian Socialist Party, the successor to the old ruling Communist Party, also allied with Moscow. 

In a video statement on Monday, Revival leader Kostadin Kostadinov - often nicknamed "Kopeykin" on social media in reference to the smaller Russian currency - confirmed that the rally was organised by the party, and was against the alleged interference of Brussels in the politics of Bulgaria, which in his opinion is now a "colony of the US".

"In front of the European Commission we did what many citizens' organisations are doing all over Europe … we expressed our citizens' protest," said Kostadinov, who described the House of Europe as a "temple of the euro-janissary", referring to the Ottoman infantry from the times when Bulgaria was under Ottoman rule.

Kostadinov, who last year tried to draft a law on condemning "foreign agents", also criticised "the traitors" and "enemies of Bulgaria" who previously threw blood-red paint at the Russian embassy.

"The building housing the European Parliament Liaison Office in Sofia was targeted by vandals unhappy with our stance in support of Ukraine. We will...