Simeon Vasilev’s Visit to France: Inclusive and Cultural Diplomacy
Simeon Vasilev’s Visit to France: Inclusive and Cultural Diplomacy
From 29 September to 3 October 2025, Simeon Vasilev, Bulgarian activist and coordinator of the GLAS Foundation (Gays and Lesbians Accepted in Society), carried out a visit to France organised by the Future Leaders Invitation Programme (PIPA) of the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs. This visit, supported by the Centre for Analysis, Planning and Strategy (CAPS), continued the dialogue initiated with France on questions of equality, memory and minority visibility.
The programme was structured around two main themes: the promotion of LGBT+ rights and the development of artistic and cultural cooperation, reflecting the cross-cutting approach of French diplomacy at the intersection of human rights and contemporary creation.
Defence of LGBT+ rights
At the French Ministry for Europe and foreign affairs, Simeon Vasilev met with Jean-Marc Berthon, France’s Ambassador for LGBT+ Rights. The discussion focused on France’s international strategy to combat discrimination and promote equality. Ambassador Berthon recalled the three priorities of French diplomacy: the universal decriminalisation of homosexuality, the protection of human rights defenders, and the strengthening of the network of inclusive embassies, now present in more than eighty countries.
Mr Vasilev with Jean-Marc Berthon, Ambassador for LGBT+ Rights, at the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, 29 September 2025
Mr Vasilev provided an overview of the situation in Bulgaria, highlighting the absence of legal recognition for same-sex couples, the rise of disinformation on gender issues and the progressive withdrawal of private sector support. He called for a coordinated European response combining public diplomacy, advocacy and training programmes for institutional actors.
The discussion also addressed the exhibition “Homosoc”, designed by the GLAS Foundation and presented in Sofia in 2019, which explores the lives and representation of LGBT+ people under the communist regime. This initiative — praised by Ambassador Berthon — was recognised as an important example of cultural and memorial diplomacy, contributing to the rehabilitation of silenced historical narratives. Both interlocutors agreed to explore avenues for regional collaboration between French diplomacy, Bulgarian civil society and the PIPA network.
At Paris City Hall, Simeon Vasilev was then received by Jean-Luc Romero-Michel, Deputy Mayor of Paris in charge of human rights, integration and anti-discrimination policies. Their discussion focused on local inclusion strategies and cooperation between European cities.
Mr Vasilev with Mr Jean-Luc Romero-Michel at Paris City Hall, 30 September 2025
Mr Romero-Michel presented the Paris strategy structured around three pillars: visibility and memory (creation of the LGBT+ Memorial and support for Paris Pride), social support (opening of the La Bulle centre for LGBT+ refugees), and international cooperation (partnerships with Berlin, Madrid and Montreal). Mr Vasilev welcomed the coherence of this approach, contrasting with the challenges faced by Bulgarian organisations, marked by reduced private sponsorship and increasing dependence on public funding.
The discussions opened possibilities for networking between Paris Pride and marches in Eastern Europe, the sharing of expertise on civic communication, and potential institutional support from the City of Paris for projects led by the GLAS Foundation. Mr Romero-Michel also invited Mr Vasilev to the opening reception of the “Paris Cinema Against Discrimination” Film Festival and expressed interest in a future visit to Sofia, depending on the electoral calendar.
Associative and media meetings
Alongside these institutional meetings, Mr Vasilev met representatives of the LGBT+ Centre Paris Île-de-France and the Inter-LGBT, organiser of Paris Pride. He also spoke with journalists from Têtu magazine and the Bulgarian press, who expressed interest in promoting the PIPA programme within their publications. A visit to La Bulle further illustrated the exemplary Parisian model for supporting LGBT+ refugees.
Mr Vasilev at “La Bulle”, 2 October 2025
Artistic and cultural cooperation
Accompanied by Ms Caroline Arhuero, curator of the Varna Urbanism and Architecture Biennale (BUNA), Mr Vasilev explored the French artistic landscape and met with teams from the National Centre for Visual Arts (CNAP), the Beaux-Arts de Paris and the Cité internationale des arts. He also held meetings with Ms Bénédicte Alliot, Director of the Cité, as well as several curators and cultural institution representatives.
Mr Vasilev with Ms Bénédicte Alliot, Director of the Cité internationale des arts, on 1 October 2025
These meetings were an opportunity to present his project for a retrospective dedicated to Mr Maryn Varbanov and his wife Ms Song, key figures of the Sino-Bulgarian textile avant-garde. CNAP and the Beaux-Arts offered to open their databases to identify works preserved in France, while potential exchanges with the Guimet Museum were suggested to deepen research on Ms Song. Visits to the Palais de Tokyo, the Pinault Collection, the BAL and the Maison des Métallos completed this immersion in the Parisian artistic scene.
Cultural encounter
On a lighter note, Mr Vasilev visited the Perrotin Gallery, where he met Ms Louise Hauguel and discovered Nina Chanel Abney’s exhibition Now What or What Else (see the exhibition). This visit fuelled his reflections on the representation of minorities and diversity in contemporary art.
Outlook and next steps
This week of meetings, organised by PIPA, strengthened existing ties between French diplomacy, local actors and civil society. It also generated new synergies between France and Bulgaria, at the crossroads of human rights diplomacy and cultural diplomacy.
Mr Vasilev expressed his wish to return to Paris for Art Basel, accompanied by the President of the Credo Bonum Foundation, in order to continue the exchanges initiated during this visit.
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