Bulgaria: opposition politicians arrested
In Bulgaria, several local politicians in the opposition strongholds of Sofia and Varna have been arraigned on corruption charges in recent weeks. The arrest of Blagomir Kozev, the mayor of the key port city of Varna, has sparked protests. The national press fears that - as in neighbouring Turkey - the judiciary is being misused by the government to secure its grip on power.
This tandem wants absolute power
Boyko Borisov's ruling Gerb party and its controversial political partner, the oligarch Delyan Peevski, are aiming to bring the country totally under their control, warns Deutsche Welle:
“The removal of mayors and local councillors, the seizure of power in the countryside and the arrest of prominent elected officials are all aimed at creating a situation in which power remains once and for all in the hands of the Peevski-Borisov tandem. And only then will its agents be able to do as they please, unchallenged and uncontrolled by a defeated society and its subjugated institutions.”
On the path to dictatorship
For Club Z this is a clear sign that democracy is being dismantled in Bulgaria:
“Dictatorships come in shock waves. First comes a big shock, for example, the unlawful arrest of a political opponent. Then a phase of normalisation follows, then another shock such as the destruction of civil society organisations. If, during the normalisation phase, there is no public reaction, another shock will follow, along with bigger restrictions on rights and freedoms. This is what happened in Russia, and this is what is happening now in the United States. As for Bulgaria, we're well past the shock waves and normalisation stage, so there's little left to save.”