1. Angel Chavdarov Dzhambazki is a Bulgarian nationalist politician who served as Member of the European Parliament from 2014 to 2024.
26 Facts About Angel Dzhambazki
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Angel Dzhambazki is a co-chairman of VMRO, having joined the nationalist party's youth organization in 1997 and gradually progressed through its ranks.
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Angel Dzhambazki was a member of the Sofia city council between 2007 and 2014 after first being elected on the ticket of GERB, though making use of the quota for citizens, and then securing a seat in October 2011 as a candidate of VMRO.
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Angel Dzhambazki has criticized the non-governmental organization for being what it described as an "instrument for the destruction of the nation".
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In May 2014, Angel Dzhambazki was elected to the European Parliament as a member of the Bulgaria Without Censorship-VMRO electoral coalition.
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In 2016 and 2017, Angel Dzhambazki has been accused of racist, xenophobic and homophobic comments.
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Angel Dzhambazki was reelected to the European Parliament on his party's own list in the 2019 European Parliament election.
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Angel Dzhambazki focused his campaign on dismantling ghettos inhabited primarily by Bulgaria's Romani minority, as well as banning the annual Sofia Pride gay parade as part of what he described as a 'law and order' campaign.
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Since the start of his political career, Angel Dzhambazki has opposed the role of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms in Bulgarian politics, declaring the party as "toxic" and a "criminal organization".
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Angel Dzhambazki declared that the cancellation of the strategy was a victory for himself and his party, which he opined would continue to "fight to defend tradition, the family and Christian values" and against "multiculturalism and eurobureaocratism".
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Angel Dzhambazki condemned a statement to the UN general assembly by Bulgarian Foreign Minister Ekaterina Zaharieva regarding child rights on 27 September 2019, stating that he found it "unacceptable" for the interests of the child to be viewed as "isolated" from its parents or to come into conflict with the parent's interests.
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Angel Dzhambazki stated that he found it "unacceptable" for biological parents to have the same status as legal guardians and social services put in care of children.
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Angel Dzhambazki further accused the EU Parliament of Bolshevism, stating to the assembly that the parliament had acted like "Chinese communist-bolsheviks", which led to him being booed by MEPs.
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Angel Dzhambazki took a vocally strong stance against the 2019 proposed changes to the EU transport law proposed by French President Emmanuel Macron.
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Angel Dzhambazki stated that the reform plan had been pushed alongside an "organized campaign against Bulgarian national interests", as the reforms were deemed to hurt Bulgarian transport companies.
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Angel Dzhambazki has disputed the 2021 North Macedonia census, in regards to the number of enumerated Bulgarians.
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On 16 February 2022, after defending the governments of Hungary and Poland in a speech at the European Parliament, Angel Dzhambazki insulted his fellow MEP Sandro Gozi and apparently made a Nazi salute while leaving the chamber.
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Angel Dzhambazki's actions were immediately censored by the Vice-President of the European Parliament Giuseppina Picierno, who was presiding over the session.
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Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, stated that Angel Dzhambazki could be sanctioned under Rule 10 of the European Parliament's rules of procedure which deals with the conduct of members of the European parliament.
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Angel Dzhambazki said his hand sign was a goodbye signal to his political career.
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Angel Dzhambazki has stated that before entering politics, he sold newspapers and pizza.
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On 19 November 2018, Angel Dzhambazki was detained at Sofia Airport after an attempt to bring a Makarov pistol onto a flight.
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The weapon was legally owned and Angel Dzhambazki stated that he had forgotten to remove it from his luggage prior to boarding.
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Angel Dzhambazki pledged that in the future he would quit either drinking or driving.
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On 7 January 2020, MEP and Reload Bulgaria leader Nikolay Barekov accused Angel Dzhambazki of abusing his influence and forensic manipulation in regards to his DUI, submitting the case before Bulgaria's newly-appointed Chief Prosecutor Ivan Geshev.
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The allegation was that Angel Dzhambazki did not give a blood test to the hospital which he was ordered to visit, but instead to the Military Medical Academy, an institution subordinate to Bulgarian Minister of Defence and fellow VMRO party leader Krasimir Karakachanov.