„Without healthy soil, there are no roots. And without roots, there is no future. Because roots do not pull us back - they keep us upright.“. With these words, the chairman of the National Council of the Bulgarian Socialist Party Krum Zarkov addressed those gathered in Gabrovski's vineyard to mark 135 years since the first socialist gathering in Bulgaria.
He recalled that at that time Dimitar Blagoev, Nikola Gabrovski and representatives of the first socialist groups from Tarnovo, Gabrovo, Sevlievo, Dryanovo and Kazanlak were looking for an answer to the question: „Does socialism have a place in our country?“. According to him, it was precisely this answer that determined whether freedom would remain a privilege for a few or reach the people who live from their labor.
“The comrades who gathered then in that vineyard did not have power and wealth. But they had the clear awareness that without justice, freedom is an empty word.“, Zarkov emphasized.
He noted that the question from those years still sounds relevant today: “Does socialism still have a foothold in our country? It does! And no matter how much they convinced us during the campaign that the division between left and right is outdated, today's political life shows the opposite. The same people who denied this division are now looking for left-wing voters and even call them “homeless”. The far right talked about social policies. The liberal right split precisely along the left-right axis. This is no coincidence.“.
According to him, the political opponents of the left understand well how many left-wing people there are in Bulgaria and know that the strong socialist movement is an obstacle to a model in which capital sets the rules and the public interest remains in the background.
“Their long-standing goal is to weaken and eliminate the BSP in order to privatize and put the left-wing political space to sleep. We will not let them! Socialism still has a place in our country.“, said Zarkov.
The chairman of the left emphasized that this place exists in people who want to live with dignity from their work, in young families who want to stay in Bulgaria, and in every person who believes that solidarity is stronger than greed.
In his words, it is manifested not only in dissatisfaction, but also in the hope that Bulgaria can be a fairer and more humane state; in the conviction that the person should be more important than profit; in the understanding that the state should not abandon the weak; as well as in young people who refuse to accept violence and hatred as normality.
„The pioneers did not have it any easier than we do today. They too have gone through divisions, disappointments, and severe trials. But they persevered because they believed deeply in their ideal and understood that without organization and struggle, no just cause wins.“, Zarkov also said.
“We will overcome the difficulties too. We will draw strength from the past, learn from the present and look to the future. Let us look to Buzludzha today with confidence that the roots are alive. And let us remember the testament of the Grandfather: “The future belongs to those who know how to organize and fight. Fight!“, Krum Zarkov called.