ANALYSE DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS The political crisis in the coun- POLIT-BAROMETER try is becoming deeper. Year 20 Issue 7 September 2020 The protests and the situation in the country have led to a reaction on the part of Euro- pean institutions. Georgi Karasimeonov (Ed.) Ninova’s victory in the inter- nal party elections for leader of BSP will consolidate her position on the eve of the parliamentary elections. FRIEDRICH-EBERT-STIFTUNG – POLIT-BAROMETER DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS POLIT-BAROMETER Year 20 Issue 7 September 2020 CONTENTS Contents 1. POLITICAL SITUATION 2 2. CONDITION AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE PARTY SYSTEM 6 3. PUBLIC OPINION 8 4. MAIN CONCLUSIONS AND FORECASTS 9 1 FRIEDRICH-EBERT-STIFTUNG – POLIT-BAROMETER 1 POLITICAL SITUATION The protests with demands for the resignation of the expressed the opinion that corruption in the country pos- government and the chief prosecutor are into their third es a serious challenge to the rule of law and democracy, month now. At the opening of the autumn session of the with Borisov’s government being part of this corrupt envi- National Assembly, one of the largest protests took place, ronment and the prosecution acting in the interests of the referred to as The Great People’s Uprising. The protest be- government or being used for political repression. Com- gan in the morning and there were clashes with police, missioner Jourova stated that the Cooperation and Veri- who used a tear-gas type spray to disperse the protesters. fication Mechanism stayed in place at this stage, and the Dozens of arrests were made, including the leader of the move to abolish it would depend on a decision of the EU Green Movement, part of Democratic Bulgaria - Borislav Council. According to Jourova, the new rule of law mech- Sandov, without any good reason. This brought about an anism, which applies to all member states, would continue immediate reaction from the European Greens, who called to monitor the situation in Bulgaria. She stressed that the on the country’s authorities to put a stop to the illegal part on freedom of the media would be particularly critical, arrests and release Sandov forthwith, which happened a due to the systematic problems that have been observed in few hours later. In the evening nearly 80,000 protesters the country in recent years. Despite the criticism of media gathered in Nezavisimost (Independence) Square, escalat- concentration by European institutions, the Commission ing tensions after provocateurs and football crowd leaders for Protection of Competition (CPC) has allowed oligarch were sent in with the aim of tarnishing the protest. The Kiril Domuschiev, owner of Nova TV and a number of other provocateurs bombed the police for two hours without the media and websites, who is close to those in power, to buy latter interfering and removing the provocateurs from the Kanal 3 TV and several radio stations, which up until now protest. After the provocateurs left, the police attacked the were owned by MP for MRF Delyan Peevski. protesters and cleared the square. Dozens of citizens were arrested, most of whom had not taken part in the provoca- The MEPs made a petition, which led to a decision for a de- tions. This was proved in court, which did not respect the bate in the plenary hall of the European Parliament on the detention measures requested by the prosecution. situation in Bulgaria, on October 5th. The subcommittee, which deals with corruption issues in member states and Violence by the police on September 2nd failed to disheart- in which a representative of the government and one from en the protesters, since thousands continued their action the Bulgarian prosecutor’s office were heard in August, over the following days. So far, the government has re- sent questions to the government and the chief prosecutor, fused to resign, thus deepening the political crisis in the to which answers are expected. Some of the questions to country and leading to even greater erosion of trust in in- Chief Prosecutor Ivan Geshev are the following: What is stitutions and most of all in the government. happening with the investigations into the house in Bar- celona and the investigation by the Spanish prosecutor’s In practice the protest has already achieved a great victory, office into money laundering involving Boyko Borisov? Is in the form of the fervent international response. A number there an investigation into the recordings and photos from of influential European and American media sources pub- the Prime Minister’s bedroom, and what stage is this at? lish daily materials about the protests in Bulgaria, speak- Why does the prosecution not investigate these records, ing of the rife corruption and “mafiaisation” of the state. but discloses others that were collected in the course of There have been reactions from European institutions, poli- pre-trial proceedings or are not part of it at all? Does Ge- ticians and various political parties in Europe. shev continue to claim that he organised the hearing in the subcommittee because this is not true, and what is his A hearing of Commissioner Vera Jourova was held in the attitude to this fake news? LIBE Committee of the European Parliament, one of the points being the situation with the rule of law in Bulgaria. Reactions in support of the protests in Bulgaria came from MEPs from various parliamentary groups directed prob- the groups of the Socialists and Democrats and the Greens ing questions at Jourova, asking why the committee was in the EP, and a number of MEPs expressed solidarity with turning a blind eye to the situation in Bulgaria. MEPs have the protesters. The parliamentary group of the German So- 2 THE POLITICAL SITUATION cial Democratic Party in the Bundestag also expressed a new “sinister practices” such as extortion through state position, which was published in an official press release. It instruments whose aim is the deprivation of business are shows solidarity with the protests, which are in the name of extremely worrying; intimidating business for political obe- pro-European values. The position states that “democracy, dience; there is a growing sense of the lack of rule of law the rule of law and the fight against corruption are among and security of private property. the central pillars of European integration. We welcome the fact that these values ​​receive the broad support of the MRF refused to support GERB’s draft of a new constitution Bulgarian population.” and the convening of a Grand National Assembly, which effectively put paid to the proposal. 160 votes have to be A report from the US State Department on the state of gained in order for a Grand National Assembly to be con- the economic environment in the world, published in Sep- vened, which cannot happen since BSP and MRF oppose tember, stated that in Bulgaria endemic corruption could it. Despite this, GERB gathered the 120 votes required to be observed, which hinders foreign investment and affects submit their draft constitution to the National Assembly. the poor business environment, despite the low taxes. This became possible after GERB made concessions with regard to the demands of the United Patriots, most of The government pretended that they did not notice all which were populist, whilst others were incompatible with these reactions and criticisms. Moreover, GERB MP Toma modern democratic standards, such as the introduction of Bikov even went as far as to accuse the European media an educational qualification in order to be eligible to vote. of publishing such materials to order because they were The project was also signed by MPs from Volya, which hap- paid for by certain Bulgarians. He declined to say which pened in parallel with the receipt of two concessions for media outlets were involved in such action and which Bul- beaches in Varna for companies of Veselin Mareshki. The garians had paid for these publications. There was a sharp leader of Volya stated that he had not read the draft con- reaction from the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. In a pub- stitution of GERB, but had signed it because he wanted to lished position of the Media Program of the Foundation for give a chance for a debate on the topic to happen. Southeast Europe, it is stated that “in the serious media in Germany, no one takes money to make reports - especially The aim of submitting this project was for GERB and Bor- for texts regarding Bulgaria.” isov to gain time. The idea of a new constitution and the specific project have received severe criticism from special- A vehement public response was caused by the raid of var- ists on constitutional law and experts. It was unambiguous- ious government services at the same time in the large toy ly described as very weak and a “mockery” of the country’s chain Hippoland. The reason for this was the position of constitution, citizens and democracy. Despite these harsh the owner of the chain Marian Kolev, who had said a day reactions and calls for GERB to withdraw its project, the earlier that his son had been gassed by the police at the leadership did not do so. GERB then also presented the protest and expressed his indignation. Workers in the Hip- version that this was just a draft that would be debated poland stores are among the protesters and this has not and that the Grand National Assembly could then change gone unnoticed by the government. it as it wished. According to experts, the humiliation of the constitution because of the Bulgarian Prime Minister, who Kolev stated that a female partner of Alexander Staliyski, is trying to buy time and avoid resignation, is the biggest close to the Prime Minister and oligarch Delyan Peevski, attack on Bulgarian constitutionalism and democracy in had proposed that he sell his business and that if he did the country in the last 30 years.