THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING CONFIDENCE

interview and photography by Anthony Georgieff

French Ambassador Xavier Lapeyre de Cabanes on ancient art, latterday nationalism and why history must not be used to justify current policies

Xavier Lapeyre de Cabanes_0.jpg

A fan of the arts, Xavier Lapeyre de Cabanes accomplished in a few months what various Communist and non-Communist functionaries, dating all the way back to Lyudmila Zhivkova in the late 1970s, had hoped for: bring a Bulgarian exhibition to the Louvre in Paris. Using his par excellence skills and contacts, M. de Cabanes was instrumental in putting together a large display of Thracian art at the Richelieu wing, through at the end of July 2015. Sitting in his comfortable embassy, a Sofia landmark on Oborishte Street, we could be talking for hours about painting, sculpture and music. But, instead, I choose to ask a few direct questions about the state Bulgaria finds itself in at the moment. What do Bulgarians lack?

Confidence. Bulgarians have no confidence in their politicians. Furthermore, they have no confidence that their children could have a future in Bulgaria.

Is it not pretty obvious why many Bulgarians have lost faith in their country?

Yes. But if too many Bulgarian chose to go, Bulgaria would cease to exist. If all young Bulgarians went away because they do not think they have a future in this country, only the sort of people Bulgarians protested against in 2013 will remain, and they will be the only ones in power.

Does the Bulgarian state do anything to bring back some confidence in citizens and dissuade them from emigrating?

I think yes, but this kind of policy, convincing large masses of people that they do have a future here, is difficult and slow. People have waited long enough, for 26 years since the collapse of Communism.

Is the new statue of Tsar Samuil contributing?

That there is debate about this statue is positive. I think what President Plevneliev said is sensible: Why not have a statue of a great Bulgarian king in a city that still has monuments to aggressors? Whether you like the statue or not is a matter of personal taste.

French Ambassador Xavier Lapeyre de CabanesCould a statue like that be erected in modern-day Paris?

We no longer do that because we did it 150 years ago.

Can history be used to justify present-day policies?

History is something you should know. History is a fact. You should neither be proud of, nor be held responsible for what happened many years ago. It is just a fact that people should know. We can't change it. I cannot be proud of or sorry for the history of France because as a person I have nothing to do with the French Revolution. But this is the history of my country: I’m kind of an heir of this history.

Do you not think that modern Bulgarians tend to spend too much time in their history?

History must never be used in any kind of political debate. If anyone does it means that they are trying to make their standpoints more valid on the basis of events that happened many years ago. This is very wrong and very dangerous. History cannot be used to prove that Crimea is Russian or Macedonia Bulgarian. It is important to know history and equally important never to use it in a political debate.

Still, does this happen in Bulgaria?

Not only in Bulgaria, but all over the world.

Do you have people in France who think France should have territorial claims on Belgium?

There might be a few people like that, yes.

French Ambassador Xavier Lapeyre de CabanesBut they are not in parliament.

No, they are not in parliament.

As a diplomat, do you talk with all the political parties represented in the Bulgarian parliament?

Not with Ataka, not with the Patriotic Front, – which means not with the VMRO, or Internal Macedonian Revolutionary Organisation, nor the National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria.

Why?

Because I think that some of their positions are incompatible with a number of general European principles.

After a year and a half in Bulgaria, what is your evaluation of the quality of democracy in Bulgaria?

I think that the Bulgarians are a democratic nation. Perhaps it stems from history because in Bulgaria people never had the kind of feudalism that we had in France for centuries. The Bulgarians are generally peaceful, which is very important for democracy. Bulgarians favour equality, which is also important for the quality of democracy. I think that a quarter of a century after the downfall of Communism, Bulgarians value freedom.

The bottomline?

In principle, I am an optimist. I note the many positive changes that have come to Bulgaria during the past 26 years. Based on that, I hope that more positive changes are about to happen, although there are still big problems.

French Ambassador Xavier Lapeyre de Cabanes

  • COMMENTING RULES

    Commenting on www.vagabond.bg

    Vagabond Media Ltd requires you to submit a valid email to comment on www.vagabond.bg to secure that you are not a bot or a spammer. Learn more on how the company manages your personal information on our Privacy Policy. By filling the comment form you declare that you will not use www.vagabond.bg for the purpose of violating the laws of the Republic of Bulgaria. When commenting on www.vagabond.bg please observe some simple rules. You must avoid sexually explicit language and racist, vulgar, religiously intolerant or obscene comments aiming to insult Vagabond Media Ltd, other companies, countries, nationalities, confessions or authors of postings and/or other comments. Do not post spam. Write in English. Unsolicited commercial messages, obscene postings and personal attacks will be removed without notice. The comments will be moderated and may take some time to appear on www.vagabond.bg.

Add new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.

Restricted HTML

  • Allowed HTML tags: <a href hreflang> <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <code> <ul type> <ol start type> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <h2 id> <h3 id> <h4 id> <h5 id> <h6 id>
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
  • Web page addresses and email addresses turn into links automatically.

Discover More

NATALIA PETROVA: INTELLIGENT INVESTMENT SOLUTIONS
How to invest your money wisely and make the most of the ever-changing economy, even in times of volatility and uncertainty, is a question that many people ask today. Natalia Petrova is one of the few people in Bulgaria who knows the answer.

KRASSIMIRA HRISTOVA: THE PLEASURE OF SMART DRIVING
Responsible diesel vehicle owners are already familiar with AdBlue® – the additive that reduces harmful emissions and enhances fuel efficiency by optimising engine combustion.

AMITABH VARDHAN AND THE MAGIC OF THE BIG SCREEN
For Amitabh Vardhan cinema is not just a form of entertainment. It is a passion. As the managing director and CEO of Cine Grand since 2010, he has dedicated himself to creating and crafting the ultimate cinema experience for viewers.

NATHANIEL COPSEY
Before coming to Sofia as His Majesty's Ambassador, Nathaniel Copsey was the chief speech writer for the foreign secretary.

METAL COMES TO LIFE IN OUR HANDS!
From prehistory to modernity, humanity has explored the nature of metals and has tamed them, putting them at the centre of entire industries and creating astonishing pieces of craft and art of them.

ALEXANDER IGNATOV: MAKING THE MOST OF DIGITAL REVOLUTION
Excellent organization, flawless work processes, timely reaction and visible results: these are just some of the reasons why Sky Prime is one of the hot names in the Bulgarian market right now.

DR BRANIMIR KIRILOV: COMMITTED TO PATIENTS' WELLBEING
The fragrance diffuser lets another puff of delicate aroma in the elegant waiting room. Sitting on the comfortable sofas, people leisurely check their phones, while sipping water or fresh coffee.

MARTIN VASSILEV: CLEAN, CLEANER, KÄRCHER
How clean is really clean? During the Covid-19 pandemic, thousands of companies and individuals around the world were anxious to get the answer right.

IRENE MARIA PLANK
With a wide-ranging experience in Berlin, Brussels, Kinshasa, Rabat and Seattle, Irene Maria Plank seems like the perfect diplomat who can with equal ease discuss serious political issues and sample wine, analyse classical music and discuss religion, tr

HOPING FOR HISTORY IN FUTURE
Psychoanalysis and film making are connected in more than one way. They were born at approximately the same time and are based on dreams and the unconscious. There is hardly a person who has not tried to decipher either their own dreams or a movie.

TATYANA DIMITROVA: THE TRIP(S) OF YOUR LIFETIME
Travelling and discovering different cultures and landscapes is one of life's greatest joys; the cliché that it is one of the most sensible investments one will make is absolutely true. Tatyana Dimitrova knows this well.