In August, the Bulgarian parliament passed a law banning what it termed LGBT+ “propaganda” in schools. It was proposed by the far-right, pro-Russian party Vazrazhdane (Revival), which sits with the likes of Alternative for Germany (AfD) in the newly-formed Europe of Sovereign Nations (ESN) group in the European Parliament.

Legal experts and human rights activists warned that the law is nearly identical to the Russian and Hungarian anti-LGBT+ propaganda laws adopted in 2013 and 2021 respectively and declared incompatible with international and European human rights principles by the Venice Commission of the Council of Europe.

Human Rights organizations fear that the Bulgarian law will result in a sharp increase in attacks and bullying of schoolchildren, teachers, and gay people, just as in Russia and Hungary. Even prior to the adoption of this law, Bulgaria was ranked third-worst in the EU for LGBT+ rights in 2024, with only Romania and Poland behind it.

The law does not define “gay propaganda”, but representatives of Revival have already showed how they seek to use it to intimidate and censor opponents. For example, Revival leader Kostadin Kostadinov, who has described Roma people as “parasites” and “vermin” and is known for his vocal anti-EU and anti-NATO stances, threatened hand over the names of 800 educators who signed a letter protesting the law. He called them “criminals” who “want to push homosexual propaganda” and promised to refer their names to the Prosecutor’s Office. Revival party members then posted a list naming some of the teachers on Facebook. As a result, educators have been harassed on social media by Revival supporters and continue to face threats.

Kostadinov also demanded that the Single Step Foundation — an organization focused on LGBT+ issues — appear before parliament where the organization was accused of “spreading gay propaganda” and was threatened with closure. His party was upset that the foundation had conducted an anonymous online survey among adolescents that showed significant rates of bullying against LGBT+ children.

The bill’s passage reveals not only the increasing influence of Revival but also the willingness of Bulgaria’s long-time populist former premier and current GERB party leader Boyko Borisov to make deals with radical pro-Russian parties in order to ease his return to power.

Revival had tried to pass a similar law in 2022 but failed. Since then, capitalizing on decades of largely unchecked pro-Russian propaganda in Bulgaria, this party has increased its representation in parliament from 27 to 38 MPs in the 240-seat National Assembly. Revival also chairs the committees that were instrumental in advancing the bill.

But the legislation could not have passed without support from GERB, which won the most votes in the last election. GERB’s support, despite its professed commitment to European values and its membership of the supposedly moderate European People’s Party (EPP) in the European Parliament, suggests that Borisov may be considering a future coalition with Revival. Together, the two parties are polling at 37% of the vote, ahead of more moderate groups.

The LGBT+ community is not the main target of the far-right pro-Russian forces. The anti-gay law is just the beginning of Revival’s broader agenda to undermine liberal democracy. The party opposes EU membership if it means adoption of the euro and has suggested joining the BRICs grouping. It seeks to leave NATO.

This is a grave issue for the EU. While the bloc expressed “deep concern” over the LGBT+ law, its actions have been largely ineffective. This tepid response emboldens Revival, which is now pushing for a repressive Russian-style foreign agents law.

This proposed legislation would severely restrict civil society groups and independent media by requiring organizations and individuals receiving over €500 in foreign funding annually to register as foreign agents.

Although Revival failed to gather enough support for this law in 2022, it may succeed after the October 27 election if not firmly opposed now. The latest opinion polls show Revival with 15.6%  in second place, overtaking the anti-corruption, pro-EU We Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB) coalition with 15.1%, while GERB leads with 24.8%.

It’s time the EU got off the fence and became serious. The risks are very considerable.

Dessie Zagorcheva holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from Columbia University. She specializes in international security with a focus on Russia and Eastern Europe. Her current research examines NATO’s response to Russian sharp power.   

Europe’s Edge is CEPA’s online journal covering critical topics on the foreign policy docket across Europe and North America. All opinions are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the position or views of the institutions they represent or the Center for European Policy Analysis.

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