On the first day of the new parliament, an old topic again turned up on the political scene – the right of deputies to be protected by the National Security Service.
Boyko Borisov and Delyan Peevski have used such protection for years, and in the past - the former leader of the DPS Ahmed Dogan. As we have repeatedly told in "120 minutes" over the years, attempts to limit the privilege of deputies to use guards and cars from the state resource for an indefinite period have hit a rock.
Who, how many and when should be protected by the state – Marin Nikolov talks to the former long-time director of the National Security Service, General Dimitar Vladimirov.
By law, the president, the speaker of the National Assembly and the prime minister have the unconditional right to security and a car from the National Security Service.
In certain cases, national security personnel, senior police officers, foreign heads of state, and official guests are also entitled to the service. And finally - deputies, judges, prosecutors, mayors and other persons can also receive security from the National Security Service, but only if there is a specific threat to their life or health. This threat is assessed by a special three-member commission, says General Dimitar Vladimirov, head of the National Security Service from 1992 to 2004, who is aware of the processes in the service to this day.
"In addition to the head of the National Security Service, this commission also includes the chairman of the National Security Agency and the secretary general of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. And it turns out that there are people who have been using cars for years. And here my criticism is of the commission that determines the level of threat to state officials. A signal must be clarified within a few months, and if it is not confirmed, it must be removed, this is an expensive tool. Measures are taken there, but they are careful not to disrupt good relationships. I have raised this issue, but it has remained a voice in the wilderness. They are silent so as not to ruin their relationships and to please them by providing them with security and cars. They are trembling for their positions, they do not act in principle and honestly as they should", commented Dimitar Vladimirov, head of the National Security Service.
The long-standing security and cars of people in power were heavily discussed at the end of last year, when “We continue the change - Democratic Bulgaria“ introduced a bill to remove all deputies from the scope of persons who are entitled to be protected by the service. The idea was that the NSO would remain a privilege only for high-ranking state officials, and in the event of a threat signal, MPs would receive security, but from the Ministry of Interior, as happens with judges, municipal councilors, journalists and other citizens. The main reason for the proposal was the long-standing NSO security used by Delyan Peevski and Boyko Borisov.
"When we talk about Boyko Borisov and Peevski, we must bear in mind that they have indeed received signals, with threats. One is clear, this is Sreten Josic from Serbia, who expressed a public opinion that he would deal with Boyko Borisov himself. But so many years have passed, he is in prison, Sreten Josic, and there has been no development of this signal. There is also a signal with Peevski, as far as I know, they are talking about a threat from the Russian side, but there has been no development with him either," said Gen. Vladimirov.
Sreten Josic, known as Yotsa Amsterdam, was sentenced in Serbia in 2010 to 15 years in prison for abetting murder. In 2002, when Borisov was the Secretary General of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the underworld boss was arrested in Bulgaria. A subsequent threat to Borisov's life, according to Gen. Dimitar Vladimirov, was grounds for him to receive security from the National Security Service. As the Secretary General of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and then the long-time Prime Minister of the country until 2021, he is also entitled to this security. He is also entitled to it for 4 years after leaving office, says Vladimirov.
Another former Prime Minister of the country had also used the National Security Service after leaving office - Kiril Petkov, who in 2024 was in a service car in a serious accident near Varna. The other participant in the collision died in the accident, and now a case is underway against the NSO driver for complicity in the accident. Today, Kiril Petkov does not use the services of the NSO, unlike Boyko Borisov. After the political criticism on the topic in December, Borisov's GERB party members responded:
Toma Bikov, archive from December 2025 - the risk with Borisov is much more serious, simply because he is a more serious person! And his decisions are much more important than Kiril Petkov's decisions.
Delyan Peevski's state security has also been in place for years. Publications that he would be protected by the National Security Service appeared as early as 2014. Articles (shown on the screen Club Z) point out that the MP is under threat because of, I quote, "detained persons suspected of having tried to kill Peevski." In 2016, it was reported that he was already under security "due to information about a planned assassination." In the following years, media inquiries about why the measure remained in force remained unanswered, with the argument that this was classified information. In 2020, the National Security Service officially explained that his security was due to "a specific threat." This led to the attempt by Continuing the Change - Democratic Bulgaria to limit the long-standing security of MPs:
"We are giving 2 million leva per year for the security of Boyko and Peevski, instead of building two new kindergartens with them", said Asen Vassilev in December 2025.
"I was not removed, that's what the services decided. And if there is a need for my security, let them decide. If there is no need, let them decide too. I will accept the decision of the committee, as I have done in the past and have given up on this security.", commented Delyan Peevski in December 2025.
What followed? The bill of „Continuing the Change - Democratic Bulgaria“ to limit the services of the National Security Service for deputies, was adopted on first reading, but only an hour later, during a re-vote, all representatives of "There is Such a People" in parliament changed their vote from "for" to "abstain". The proposal did not gather the necessary majority and so far there has been no change in the law on state security. The MRF stated that Peevski has four bodyguards, with an average salary of about 4,000 leva for an officer and about 3,000 leva for a sergeant. His car belonged to the party. However, opponents from the PP-DB continue to claim that Peevski is protected by a motorcade of several National Security Service cars, above the usual framework for such protection. And only a month earlier, at Peevski's proposal, the parliament limited the right of the presidential administration to use National Security Service cars. In response, the then acting president Rumen Radev said that he would travel in his personal car as a gesture to his team and welcomed the Hungarian head of state in our country in this way.
"I will just mention that when I was forced to leave in 2004, the budget of the National Security Service was 13 million, and now it is 5-6 times larger than what it was during my time. And that security should be provided, but it cannot continue indefinitely", commented Gen. Vladimirov.
Vladimirov also recalls the case of the politician who holds the record for the longest security guard in our country - Ahmed Dogan. The first leader of the DPS used the NSO's resources from the beginning of the transition until the early years of the new century, when Vladimirov proposed removing his security with the motive of "lack of a specific threat".
"With Dogan, when I removed his security, he assumed that the NSO should protect him for life, but it didn't work out," said Vladimirov.
However, signals of new threats in the following years led to the restoration of Dogan's security until 2020. Then, NSO employees prevented politicians from reaching the beach in front of the so-called sea sarais of Ahmed Dogan in Rosenets Park, despite the fact that the coastline is public state property and by law should be freely accessible. To date, Dogan does not use the services of the special service, the practice of providing long-standing security for some politicians continues.
"This commission, which I spoke about, must fulfill its duty, and it is to provide information in principle and honestly in the event of a threat signal and to clarify the signals as quickly as possible and remove the security," the general commented.
In the last 6 years, the three-member commission, which assesses whether a person in power or a representative of the people is threatened and deserves to receive security from the NSO, consists of the following members:
In 2020 - by the head of the NSO, Gen. Krasimir Stanchev, the chairman of the National Security Agency, Dimitar Georgiev, and the Secretary General of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ivaylo Ivanov.
In 2022-2023 - by the head of the NSO, Gen. Emil Tonev, the chairman of the State Security Agency Plamen Tonchev and the Secretary General of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Petar Todorov.
From 2023 to 2026, Gen. Tonev and Plamen Tonchev will retain their positions, and several secretaries of the Ministry of Internal Affairs will change positions in the third position - the first is Zhivko Kotsev, and the last is Georgi Kandev from the caretaker government of Andrey Gyurov. According to Vladimirov, it is the commission on threats that is the main factor in limiting possible undeserved security and resources of the national service. The general tells us that during his administration until 2004, he repeatedly refused or limited the wishes of deputies for a luxury car and NSO guards.
"There were cases, I come home to the office and I hear the person on duty talking to someone and explaining himself and I say what's wrong? Well, here a deputy calls that he is insured with a car. He complains - "I don't see a Mercedes". No, I shout, what Mercedes? A blue Lada is waiting for you, get in. One goes to Vratsa, the driver is a driver, he is responsible for the car, the security is with him. He takes him off the wheel, and the driver, together with the security, walk along the square of Vratsa and he introduces them, this is my driver, this is my security and so on. That's what I say, there are people who abuse. It is no coincidence that now the people are looking with hopes to eliminate these anomalies," said Vladimirov.
The topic of state security remains open – between security and suspicion of abuse of state resources.