Russia's ambassador to Sofia, Eleonora Mitrofanova, said that if she were a Bulgarian citizen, she would have voted for Kostadin Kostadinov, the leader of the radical pro-Russian party "Vazrajdane": thus she violated the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.
This was reported by Euractiv.
Mitrofanova has long been a source of controversy in Bulgaria, which is struggling with strong pro-Russian sentiment both in society and at the political level. She made her scandalous statement in an interview with Bulgarian influencer and former journalist Martin Karboski.
"If I am a Bulgarian voter, I understand the politics of the leadership, and I understand what is happening, I would probably vote for either "I do not support anyone" or for Kostadin Kostadinov," said Mitrofanova.
"I do not support anyone" refers to the option on the ballot, for which the voter can express that he does not support any candidates or parties.
"Of all the so-called opposition parties, Kostadinov at least expresses a pro-Bulgarian position, which I like. I think he has a balanced approach to foreign policy," Mitrofanova added.
The position of the Russian ambassador is unprecedented, since until now a foreign diplomat has never expressed a preference for any Bulgarian politician.
Such comments are a violation of Article 41 of the Vienna Convention, a treaty that outlines obligations and protocols for diplomatic personnel and host countries. Article 41, paragraph 1 states that they must "not interfere in the internal affairs of this state."
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the "Vazrazhdane" party has almost constantly supported the Russian position in the war. Kostadinov denies that he advocates pro-Russian positions.
In March 2022, Ukraine banned Kostadinov from entry for 10 years due to reports that he was a Russian spy.
Mitrofanova denies that the Russian embassy finances influential people, politicians and journalists in Bulgaria, saying that they do not have the money for it.
We will remind, on April 2, the fourth extraordinary parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria. And it seems that the next ones are not far away.