That was said in an interview for BGNES by the Slovenian MEP, Deputy Chairman of the Democratic Party and former Minister Milan Zver about the occasion of the defamation campaign of the so-called IFIMES Institute, which defined "Bulgaria and Germany as countries that mafiaize the EU and are admirers of Nazism."
BGNES Agency published the full text of the conversation with a famous Slovenian politician.
BGNES: Being part of the EPP party, how would you comment the IFIMES allegations against Bulgaria as "still being a fascist country", Borisov and Merkel as being " patrons of Balkan mafia in EU", CDU/CSU as "sister crimes" and "secretly cultivating sympathies" for the nazi ideology?
Milan Zver: These are serious accusations unworthy of an established institute. This is a libellous discourse imbued with a clear ideological belief. The Bulgarian government, the Borisov′s government, is under attack only because it is not left. It is democratically elected and embedded in the work of the European People's Party. In the European Parliament, we greatly appreciate the work of GERB Members. It is clear that they have close links with the CDU, which in practice functions as the EPP’s leading party. I imagine only IFIMES could explain, where here they found parallels with Nazism and the Mafia. A pure construct of lies.
BGNES: How do you assess the activities of IFIMES in Slovenia, its honorary presidents Budimir Loncar and Stipe Mesic (who, both of them have recently distanced themselves from the Institute), and its executives Becirovic and Aljaf?
Milan Zver: It would be difficult for me to assess the activities of Loncar and Mesic, two Yugoslav politicians at IFIMES. Even otherwise, I don’t follow IFIMES activity well enough to be able to evaluate it comprehensively. What I do know, however, is that in their analyses they do not even hide left-wing political provenance. They act from this stance and it is well known who is recipient of these attacks. That is why they do not seem objective to me. The last attack on Bulgaria only convinced me in this assessment.
BGNES: According IFIMES website, it has been financed through donnations or consultancy contracts with Slovenian state owned companies such as: Eles, Holding slovenske elektrane, Elektro energija, Geoplin, GEN group, Posta Slovenije, the port of Koper, Termoelektrana toplarna Ljubljana. How would you comment these financial connections between IFIMES and government owned companies, especially in light with the previously mentioned allegations made by IFIMES publication against other countries? Is the Slovenian Government aware of them and in line with IFIMES claims and publications?
Milan Zver: IFIMES is a private company with which the current Slovenian government, led by Janez Janša, has no connections, no contractual relationship, etc. I have checked this fact. However, I am surprised that such powerful economic systems, as the ones you mentioned, are collaborating with them. The government is a co-owner of these companies, but the question is to what extent it can influence such decisions.
In any case, the current Slovenian government, as far as I can speak on its behalf, does not agree with such views of IFIMES. Quite the opposite. In any case, it would be welcome if the management of the mentioned companies is thoroughly analysed where they transfer the taxpayers' money.