Right-wing activists block entrance of von der Leyen’s car to arms factory in Bulgaria

(MENAFN) European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen faced protests from right-wing activists in Bulgaria on Sunday, with demonstrators briefly blocking her vehicle during a visit to a weapons manufacturing site.

Members of the Revival and Greatness parties waved Bulgarian flags and shouted “Nazi criminal” outside the Vazov Machine Engineering Plant (VMZ) in Sopot, the country’s largest state-owned arms producer.

“The time of the failed Brussels elite, along with its local servants, is running out,” Revival leader Kostadin Kostadinov said, adding that the protest signaled that “Bulgaria is not for sale.” He later posted on social media: “Ursula von der Leyen, who is under investigation for corruption and conflict of interest at the European level, is deeply disliked in Bulgaria. We do not want her in our country!”

The German defense firm Rheinmetall plans to construct a gunpowder facility and a 155mm artillery factory on the VMZ premises. Von der Leyen highlighted the project’s significance, saying, “This is exactly the kind of project we want to see … Up to 1,000 new jobs will come here to Sopot,” and noted that “one third of the weapons used in Ukraine was coming from Bulgaria.”

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov added that the country would continue participating in mine-clearing efforts in the Black Sea and provide “airport infrastructure” to support EU security operations.

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