The elite of civilized Europe arrived in Sofia on 11 January for the official opening of the Bulgarian Presidency of the Council of the EU. In this way the event was a demonstration not only of good manners but also of insights into political etiquette.

Do Bulgarian politicians live up to a decent level of protocol given that they often see the code of etiquette as mere courtesy?

“Etiquette is a way to conduct politics”, saysMaria Kassimova-Moisset, etiquette and protocol expert. “One of the worst mistakes that Bulgarian politicians make is that they are not aware of the code of etiquette as an orderly system of rules. It assists communication and creates favorable conditions for understanding between politicians, business people and individuals.”

“There is a trend of simplifying communication in politics”, the expert claims. “Tact and politeness are very important where political language is concerned. A politician is expected to stand for certain political views and positions but he or she is also expected to be able to word them in such a way that would not hurt or affect others and would prove his or her significance and relevance”,Maria Kassimovasays and adds that every gesture and act have meaning where the European code of etiquette is concerned.

Bulgarian politicians make efforts to live up to the level of their colleagues who come from countries with strong traditions in political etiquette and protocol. The expert in etiquette however finds it hard to point to a dozen Bulgarian politicians who are fluent in the code of etiquette and mentions names from the recent past – Rosen Plevneliev (former president), Meglena Kuneva and Kristalina Georgieva (former Bulgarian EU commissioners). In this vein of thought the Bulgarian EU Presidency is likely to become the scene of a clash of civilizations and of a few mistakes, Kassimova predicts:

“We have already seen mistakes in the communication of the Bulgarian EU Presidency”, Maria Kassimova comments. “Trying to find out what would interest this specific audience we drew up an image of the country which is not amusing, and is even a bit outdated. I hope that in the coming months this image will change to the better, because Bulgaria is the home of a few bright, intelligent and travelling people who are open to the world. Bulgaria does have amazing opera singers, doctors, actors and artists – who live at home or abroad, and they are representative enough, aren’t they? I cannot imagine why they are not part of the present-day face of Bulgaria. If you bother to open the website of the Bulgarian EU Presidency, you will see mostly men in tracksuits riding some sort of animals, and women in folk costumes who step on live embers. This may be the case with 10-20 percent of us – but where are the rest of the people?”

When politicians make mistakes, the likeliest reason is lack of knowledge. Therefore Maria Kassimovaadvises them to look for one-to-one consultations with experts in etiquette and communication skills.

“I would advise Bulgarian politicians to observe officials who will be visiting the country, because the code of etiquette is part of their DNA. However I do not advise them to copy those people. It will be great if they have knowledge and speak their language well, even with a Bulgarian accent. As to the appearance, they should better count on the best Bulgarian producers instead of buying a suit or bag with a giant logo of a global brand. These little things do matter: the effort to encourage the display of the Bulgarian identity in its smartest and most attractive look and make sure it “speaks” the language of etiquette. After all, anything or anybody trying to copy something or someone else is downright kitsch.”