Democratic Bulgaria (DB) has accused Iliana Yotova of manipulation. The coalition says she presents her refusal to send Bulgarian soldiers to Ukraine as the main thing that sets her apart from her rivals. MP Anna Bodakova read out the statement.
DB asked Yotova to name the party that is offering soldiers for the front and to show a document. The coalition wants specifics, not rumours and hints.
Yotova is campaigning for election. DB says she suggests that if people do not vote for her, they will have to send their loved ones to the front. "Bulgaria's security is not a personal decision that an acting president can promise Bulgarian citizens in return for votes," the statement says.
Bodakova said Yotova ascribes views to her rivals that they do not hold, and then promises to protect people from them. The statement calls this manipulation, not peacemaking. Soldiers are not props for a campaign, their families are not hostages to anyone's candidacy, and people's fear belongs to no party, Bodakova said. The president's responsibility remains during her campaign too.
DB's position against taking part in a war in Ukraine is public, clear and was not invented for the election, the coalition said. In a declaration on 21 February 2025, the 51st National Assembly put on record that Bulgarian armed forces do not take part in military action in Ukraine. The parliamentary group We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria backed the text too. Under the constitution, the National Assembly decides whether to send Bulgarian armed forces abroad.
The coalition says it sees no genuine concern in presenting aid for Ukraine as a threat to children, only manipulation. The statement says that in Bulgaria, support for the attacked country is portrayed as a danger to Bulgarian families, while European institutions warn of Russian hybrid campaigns, sabotage and cyberattacks. DB says this helps Kremlin propaganda, which aims to sow confusion, division and distrust in institutions.
Disagreeing with Progressive Bulgaria does not make anyone a supporter of war, and backing Ukraine does not mean sending troops there, DB said. Bodakova also addressed Progressive Bulgaria, which backs Yotova's candidacy. She asked the party to take responsibility for its candidate's messages and to protect people from hybrid attacks instead of spreading disinformation.
DB wants Yotova to respect the position of parliament and "stop the lies". "Shame on you for this trade in fear. Show some political sanity," Bodakova said.
In its closing words, DB says Bulgaria must not pay for anyone's campaign with fear, and that everyone wants peace except the aggressor and those who repeat his arguments.