David Copperfield proves to be less efficient

than the state’s pen…

While the Dimitrov Bulgarian Constitution of 1947 recognized the existence of minorities and presented a tolerant attitude towards them, the Bulgarian Constitution of 1971, made reference neither to ethnic nor religious minorities.  Actually the term “minority” was replaced by regulations regarding only Bulgarian citizens, who were divided into the Bulgarian ones and those with a non-Bulgarian ancestry. 

The Bulgarian state’s pen made people appear and disappear in official papers; additionally, it converted Bulgaria from a pluralist society and a favorable one towards the inter-ethnic components and the fraternity model imposed by the Soviet doctrine to a homogeneous state that acknowledged no diversity “threats”.  This elimination process served the one-nation state goal -that Balkan states in general focus on- and had serious implications e.g. name-changing campaigns, persecutions, etc.

Until nowadays, things remain more or less the same, concerning the recognition of minorities in the official state-language under the constant absence of the International Law to provide a precise definition for the term “minority”.   So, revision of Histories and distortion or erasure of facts has become a common and legitimate practice.