Screenshot 2025 02 05 141413Ernst Roets' speech at the international conservatism summit Bratislava, 11 November 2024


“If you want to know what the future of Western Europe will look like, look at what is happening in South Africa.” This was the introductory remarks to a recent series of articles in the popular Hungarian newspaper Demokrata. The series was about the deterioration of South Africa and the initiatives of the Afrikaner people to ensure a future for ourselves through the variety of institutions that form part of the Solidarity Movement. Demokrata’s conclusion was not a lone voice in the wilderness. The notion that South Africa ought to be looked at to get a glimpse of the future is becoming a widely held opinion in mainstream conservative circles in Europe and America.

In our international efforts, we have noticed that it is not necessary to tell people that South Africa should be considered to be ahead of the curve. It is, however, necessary to explain that South Africa ought not only to be looked in order to get a glimpse of what the future might hold as far as crises are concerned, but also solutions. 

But let me take a step back…

When the Berlin Wall fell, it was generally interpreted to signal the collapse of communism and the advent of liberal democracy. Even though South Africa was internationally celebrated as an example of the triumph of liberal democracy, it was, in truth, an example of the advent of communism. 

св.синод среща политици

A meeting between the Synod of the Bulgarian Orthodox Chruch and prominent members of parliament (Photo: BGNES news agency)
EXPERT OPINION
 
To the 51st National Assembly
Regarding the Unified Bill for Amendments and Supplements to the Law on Religious Denominations
51-553-37-6 from 14.01.2025
 
SUMMARY
 
The opinion is expressed by the human rights organization "Freedom for All" through lawyer Dr. Viktor Kostov from the Sofia Bar, and supported by 20 religious denominations and individuals. It questions three bills voted on the first reading by the 51st National Assembly and combined into one unified bill that proposes amendments to the Law on Religious Denominations of the Republic of Bulgaria, with the goal of introducing state interference in the country's religious life, particularly within Orthodoxy.
 
The main arguments against the bills include:
1. Violation of the Constitution (CRB) and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) – The bill contradicts the principle of the separation of church and state (Article 13, para. 2, Article 37, Article 11, etc. of the CRB, as well as Article 9 of the ECHR), creating the conditions for establishing a de facto state religion and interference in the internal life of religious communities.
2. Restriction of the rights to association for believers – The bills restrict the right of people with Orthodox Christian faith to self-identify as part of religious communities that do not belong to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church – Bulgarian Patriarchate (BOC-BP).
3. Violation of the principle of secular power – The proposed changes risk creating a legislative monopoly over religious beliefs, subordinating the right to believe to political will.
4. Disregard for judicial decisions – Contrary to the principle of the separation of powers, the bill aims to overturn a decision of the Supreme Court of Cassation regarding the registration of the "Bulgarian Orthodox Old Rite Church" (BOSRC), as well as decisions of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
5. Historical and theological inconsistency – The author and supporting individuals and denominations contest the right of the state to decide religious matters and interfere in the spiritual life of the Orthodox Church.
The bill and its original sources from the separate bills are also criticized for creating a monopoly on Orthodox belief and granting the state excessive power over the religious freedom and practices of citizens. The opinion insists on rejecting these bills to protect basic human rights and democratic principles in Bulgaria.
The opinion spans eight pages and includes a list of supporting denominations, religious communities, and individuals.

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By Peter Števkov


The overthrow of Bashar al-Assad will go down in history as one of the most cynical operations by the powers in the Middle East.

And suddenly everything changed in a few days. The world was left in awe, the great powers were silent, Assad surprisingly gave up power and flew to Moscow, Israel acted quickly.

It is almost impossible to unravel the complexity of it all, but something can indeed be unraveled, and it inspires amazement.

While the West celebrated the fall of Syrian dictator Bashar al-Assad, the main Middle Eastern protégé of the US and Europe in the region – Israel – bombed the remnants of Syrian military infrastructure. Airports, air defense installations, tanks, ammunition depots, all military targets. According to witnesses, Syria was left with practically nothing in its arsenal.

Israel also rapidly expanded its occupation of the Golan Heights, capturing the peak of Mount Hermon. This is the highest mountain in Syria, which will give Jerusalem unlimited visibility over the entire country. Previously, Israel had a blind spot in its radar coverage of Syria behind Hermon.

photo 2024 11 28 13 53 42

The speech as given by prince Leo von Hohenberg, the great-grandson of archduke Franz Ferdinand in November of 2024 at the Artstetten castle in Austria as a part of a peace initiative.

Artstetten 2024 11 16

Allow me to clarify right away that I am not a historian, a politician, or philosopher. In fact, I have no particular qualification to stand here and speak to you, other than by an accident of birth. I am, however, a father, a husband, an officer of the Austrian army reserve, and a Christian, and I feel a duty to try to do whatever I can in the service of peace. Just like all of you here, I want to safeguard our beliefs, norms, and freedoms as the basis for a fulfilling and peaceful life for the next generation.

The upheavals of the last decade with mass migration, the total erosion of the traditional
values of the West and, more recently, general warmongering have prompted me to make a statement here. The assassination of my great-grandfather heralded the first catastrophe of the 20th century, which was preceded by a wave of moral confusion and, ultimately, enthusiasm for war, not unlike our current situation.

Before I can speak about peace, I would like to step back and analyze, how we came to our current situation: a divided world that is again steering dangerously near to world war, and which is currently experiencing a war of a different kind.

  1. Conservatism: power of the powerless or state ideology?
  2. Interview: "Communism is one of the purest forms of godlessness"
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