20 Years’ Worth of Work for a Liberal Bulgaria

With a gala ceremony Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom celebrated the 20th anniversary of launching its office and activities in Bulgaria. The motto of the evening was „The European values and the liberal politics in the 21st century: experience and perspectives“. 

With this in mind, the numerous partners and friends of the Foundation not only made a recapitulation of their shared efforts during the past two decades, but, above all, tried to look to the future. Words of appreciation of the Foundation work were spoken by the Bulgarian partner organizations in the presence of Manfred Richter, board member of the Foundation, Ulrich Niemann, Head of the International Policy Division, and Dietrich Becker, envoy of the German Embassy.

During all these years, the Foundation has worked in close cooperation with the major liberal figures in Bulgaria – starting from Dr. Zhelju Zhelev, the first liberal President, in office between 1990 and 1997 and Patron of the Liberal International, through the first liberal Prime Minister, Simeon Saxe-Coburg and Gotha, who signed the treaties for the accession to NATO and the EU in 2004 and 2005, to today’s party chairmen, government officials and elected representatives in the Bulgarian and the European Parliament. 
Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom is the first German political foundation to start work in Bulgaria in 1990. From the very beginning it walked side by side with the country along the winding road towards the Euro-Atlantic organizations. Twenty years later the liberal contribution for the democratic development of Bulgaria is clearly seen.
„Many leading liberal politicians and representatives of the Bulgarian civil society have taken part and made a significant personal contribution to Bulgaria’s tremendous progress“, said Manfred Richter in his speech.

The special role of Bulgaria in the Foundation region CSEE and the important and pioneering role of the region itself were emphasized in the speech by the new Regional Director Dr. René Klaff, who introduced himself at this event to the Foundation's partners and the Bulgarian public.
„Bulgaria is an exciting country, going through an important period, when many pioneering developments and decisions are to be made - for the country itself, for South Eastern Europe, but also for Europe as a whole. To a large extent it is here, in the CSEE region, that the important decisions on the future of the European values are made and the opportunities for the realization of liberal politics are taken“.

Ulrich Niemann, who himself until the summer was the regional office director in Sofia, thanked in his welcome address all partners for their confidence in the partnership with the Foundation for Freedom.

One could see to what extent the foundation work is appreciated in Bulgaria from the broad attendance of the Bulgarian partners. Many took the floor and spoke of the successes and challenges in their work, looking back at the past 20 years and towards new ideas for the future. Korman Ismailov, MP from the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), seized the opportunity and thanked the staff of the Foundation for the competence and solidarity demonstrated in their work together with DPS’s youth organization, which has been supported by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation since its establishment.

On the same day, the staff of the Foundation in Sofia launched still another initiative and informally invited the Foundation partners and friends, neighbours and stakeholders to an „Open Doors Day“ in the new office space. In the friendly, pre-Christmas atmosphere they could introduce themselves, tell of the daily life in the Foundation and show the great pictures from the „archives“. An exhibition dedicated to the significant events from the period immediately after the changes in Bulgaria was met with great interest. These are 20 years of Bulgarian history - a long journey of democratic development in which the Foundation was a faithful companion.
The guest book stood open, and many took the opportunity to express gratitude for the pleasant cooperation. For example, Kaloyan Kamatov wrote: „Thank you for the true friendship and the trust during all these years – you’ve offered us valuable support that drives us forward and strengthens our work“. And Zornitsa Slavova added even more emotionally: „May the work for Liberty be the guiding light along our journey that will bring us to a better, fairer and freer world“.

Evgenia Milkova