Krasimir Donchev Karakachanov (Bulgarian: Красимир Дончев Каракачанов[krɐsiˈmirkɐˈrakɐt͡ʃanof]; born 29 March 1965) is a Bulgarian politician. He was the leader of VMRO from 1991 until 2022.[2]
Karakachanov, who was Bulgarian deputy prime minister, used unsocialized gypsies to describe Romani people in Bulgaria, a term critics said resembled Nazi terminology of asocial gypsies.[9]
During the 2020–2021 Bulgarian protests against the incumbent right-wing government, Karakachanov associated the protesters with LGBT rights activists, and was quoted as saying: "We cannot let a few SorosoidNGOs and small parties, that are not even in the parliament, get in power and destroy the country. In the name of what? To introduce gay marriage and to create a gender republic."[10] After the-then prime minister Bojko Borisov proposed the draft of a new constitution to appease the public, Karakachanov wrote: "I am certain that VMRO will defend its position on strengthening family values and marriage as a union between a man and a woman, as well as placing the family at the core of all normative documents related to the rights of children. The institution of marriage should be guaranteed and the protection against the introduction of a third, fifth, or a 30th gender should be explicit."[10] About a proposed reintroduction of compulsory military service for man, Karakachanov wrote: "This is one of the ways we will get our children away from the dangerous influence of gender ideology."[10] In response, the Sofia Pride Organisational Committee, Bilitis, Deystvie, and the GLAS Foundation called for condemnation of his statements.[10]
