Development of Fascism in Europe and Bulgaria

In the public discussions in Bulgaria since 1989 nearly missing a contemporary analysis of fascism. Common are discussions if ever in Bulgaria was fascism at all, as the most theorists deny this phenomenon in the social-political life of the country at the beginning of the last century. 

 

The conducting of the conference "Development of fascism in Europe and Bulgaria" is of great importance for promoting discussions in the antifascist and progressive circles. On the other hand it has symbolic character, since already more than ten years, namely in the month of February in Bulgaria is held the traditional procession "Lukov March" in memory of the reactionary fascist General Hristo Lukov, organized by the far-right nationalist and fascist parties and organizations such as the BNS, VMRO, Blood and Honor, National resistance and others. During the month of February also traditionally in Dresden is held the biggest Nazi March across Europe trying to rehabilitate the Nazi crimes committed during World War II, speculating with the bombing of Dresden. 

 

In the organized conference took part speakers from Bulgaria, Germany and Hungary. The conference was structured in several thematic blocks. The first report was presented by Uwe Hiksch - spokesman of the Marxist Forum of the Left (Die Linke), spokesman of the working group "Europe" of the Left (Die Linke), Berlin and spokesman of the working range of "European Integration" of the Left (Die Linke) at federal level. With his presentation "Introduction to the theories of fascism" he presented to the participants some of the classic and left-wing theories of fascism, while critically examined the existing bourgeois theories of fascism. He stressed that with expressions such as "left-wing fascist", “national communists" or "national Bolsheviks" racist and nationalist groups hide their true orientation and positions, and their structures are developing theoretical and organizational. Giving an explanation of the social problems of nationalistic and racist nature, their agitation and statements reinforce and exacerbate the negative phenomena such as xenophobia, anti-Semitism, anti-Gypsyism, homophobia and sexism.

 

Dirk Stegemann - member of the Union of persecuted by the Nazi regime – Union of German anti-fascists, Berlin, spokesman of the initiative "Marginalized today and tomorrow" and the campaign “Working together! Against racist hatred and social exclusion"- focused on the forms and groups of the extreme right in Europe. In his report he did a comprehensive review of the far right nationalist and fascist parties and organizations in various countries in Europe, as he explained the characteristics and the typical features of each one of them. Stegemann spoke also about the commonalities and differences among the various parties and organizations, their expressive forms and the trends in their policy. He examined the history and the manifestation of these groups in Europe, explaining that the extreme right is not just for "some extremists" and for a cynical politics and ideology, which led in the past to horrific crimes, to mass exterminations, and today is manifested in the "modern" forms of racism and hostility towards democracy.

 

Laszlo Szabo – writer and journalist, Member of the Anti-Fascist Union in Hungary – presented a report on the causes and consequences for the rise of the neo-fascists in Eastern Europe, focused in particular on the developments in Hungary. He pointed out that the transition gave from one hand the possibilities for expanding the democratic rights, but on the other hand opened the floodgates, which previously softened the chauvinism and racism or at least limited their free expression. Szabo clarified that the first neo-fascist actions in Hungary began in the early 1990s, as they were based in small groups that attempted to hinder national festivals and other events. Although not considered seriously and identified as right-wing radicalism, this first danger marked the beginning of the Hungarian neo-fascism. According to the lecturer this led in 2003 to the establishment of the Jobbik party, whose influence is increasingly growing and became one of the leading political forces in Hungary.

 

Prof. Dr. Iskra Baeva – lecturer in the Faculty of History at the Sofia University "St. Kliment Ohridski - focused on the historical development of the fascism in Bulgaria. She examined the reasons for the emergence of the fascism in Bulgaria, stressing that it was born under the influence of the European fascism in its two variants – Italian fascism and German National Socialism. Prof. Dr. Baeva explained that the fascist ideas are propagated and organizational implemented in conditions of the postwar crisis in Bulgaria following the second national disaster and attempted to profound change in the political system made by BZNS (Bulgarian Agrarian People's Union). As a third reason was set the secondary nature of the fascist ideas in Bulgaria, which led to the creation of numerous small formations, which never fail to unite. After the historical overview of the development of the fascism in Bulgaria, the lecturer stressed that in present-day in Bulgaria can be heard many similar ideas and messages. She drew attention that the then Bulgarian fascism was born and developed under external influence, while today our international commitment is radically different, and we must not close our eyes to the emergence of similar models, because the combination between national ideals and social messages in a difficult time continues to be attractive, but also very dangerous.

 

In addition to the European level within the Conference were considered the forms and groups of the today's far-right in Bulgaria. In his statement Dimitar Panayotov - member of the Bulgarian Antifascist Union – focused on the organizations and groups of the extreme right in Bulgaria, explaining their ideologies, positions and strategy. The lecturer met the participants with the symbols and passwords used by these organizations as well as with the real events, lifestyle and strategies of the extreme right, and focused on the questions of their social relevance.

 

In the last block of the conference were discussed the antifascist answers and the tasks of the Left. The speakers Adi Kostova and Uwe Hiksh argued that it should be clear that the main reasons for Nazism and fascism are the social and class contradictions and the desire to preserve the dominance of the 'white world' in the context of the global inequality. They stressed that for this purpose, we should get the anti-racism as a leading idea for all people, point out the class context in opposition to ethnic or racial and reprove always the fascism and racism; we should not live with the illusion that in terms of capitalism the racism is a minor problem; don't forget that the power of the Left is in the majority and in the indication of the total for all people problems; we should protect ourselves from populism, which can mislead us, that "all people are nationalists" or "all people are racist". It was argued that the Left should create a new faith based on real common interest between all people against the dominant classes and that the universal does not mean elimination of the differences between people. 

 

The lecturers discussed together with the participants that the crisis in Europe has primarily an economic-political character, but at the same time is a social disaster. They agreed that as a result of the privatization at the beginning of the transition to the capitalism over a million people were left without work and that the local industry in many places was brought to ruin and passed into the hands of multinational companies. It was explained that the biggest losers are the workers and certain groups of the population and the minorities, such as Roma, and that these people, and their descendants born later in these environments are expected by uselessness. It was also stated that all changing one after another governments promise a new upsurge and termination of the misery, but the gap between rich and poor is widening more and more; that, together with the impoverishment of cultural life still falls on the lower level. The participants pointed out that, although we have as before superb world-renowned artists and broad education intellectuals, the level of the main educational institutions undoubtedly decline and the most media are taken over by the cheapest, tawdry culture, if we can call it culture at all, which together with the revival of Bulgarian chauvinism led to strengthening of the neo-fascism in Bulgaria in the last two decades and create a ground for revival of this detrimental to humanity ideology.

 

Text and photo by the Buzludzha Foundation