The ruling Progressive Bulgaria party on Friday declared its support for a “March of the Family” this Saturday, celebrating so-called Christian, patriotic and “traditional” values and taking place on the same day as the annual Sofia Pride event held by the LGBTQ+ community.
“At a time of moral disorientation, social fragmentation and profound demographic crisis, safeguarding the traditional family is not simply a matter of personal choice; it is a cornerstone of our national security, identity, and future,” said Progressive Bulgaria MP Slavi Vassilev.
The Bulgarian Helsinki Committee criticised the statement and said such institutional backing means “placing one way of a family, personal or a public life, as more honourable, ‘more Bulgarian’ and more valid to be protected than another; and placing one type of citizens as more valuable than others”.
On Saturday, the “family” march and the 18th Sofia Pride will be held simultaneously at two different locations in the capital, likely meaning increased police presence in Sofia.
The first Sofia Pride was held in 2008. The event has grown in popularity over the years. The 2026 event will take place with less diplomatic and financial support, however. A longtime donor, the US embassy, was not involved in the 2025 and 2026 events, reflecting the politics of the second Trump administration. Corporate support has also become less present.
Bulgarian pop singer Dara – recent Eurovision winner with her hit single “Bangaranga” – will be among the performers on Saturday, with a march to follow in the afternoon.
Local right-wing politicians have clashed before with the LGBTQ+ community, such as over the adoption of a 2024 law amendment, filed by the pro-Russian far-right party Revival, prohibiting “propaganda” for “non-traditional sexual orientations” in schools.
Revival has also pushed for a Kremlin-inspired “foreign agents” law, which would curb human rights NGOs.
The “March of the Family” was set up in 2021 by several right-wing and religious groups to oppose Sofia Pride.
Despite reports that this years’ march might be cancelled over lack of interest, organisers said it will go ahead.
Although it was announced that the Patriarch of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church would lead the March, on Friday the Church clarified that he will not attend at all. Popular theatre director, actor and performer Marius Kurkinski, known for his religious leanings but also one of the first openly gay personalities in Bulgaria, has also dropped out.
Progressive Bulgaria – which despite its name has no left-wing leanings – was founded this year by Radev who left presidential office in January, joined the parliamentary race and won a landslide victory in the April general elections.
Radev’s government took office on May 8 on a promise to eradicate corruption and inflation. Meanwhile, his Kremlin-friendly politics have created concerns about Bulgaria’s geopolitical direction.
