Comment by Veselin Stoynev:
The Todorzhivkovsky administration has taken a downward course instead of the promised perestroika. After the failed reformatting of power, it became almost quiet and peaceful, as if nothing special had happened, and it seems that nothing special will ever happen.
Delyan Peevski's strategy has worked flawlessly so far, because it relies on the well-known syndrome of the slow boiling of frogs. Initially, he is a nuisance to everyone, a sanitary cordon is declared around him and no one dares to publicly approach him, regardless of which side of the cordon he is on. In the first phase, he only strengthens the administration, because there are not enough votes for a parliamentary majority. And while he tirelessly takes care of the people, even though the promised shops for the people are still dreamed of by people as if they were just a bunch of shillings from the sotsa, he seizes power lines one after another: he finally "eats" the DPS, "captures" about fifty mayors, becomes the first in Pazardzhik, tightens the noose on the CPC, the prosecutor's office and the State National Security Agency, rotates selected court panels to consider measures of detention…
The frogs are watching their own stew
Meanwhile, he also bets on the reality syndrome - all the frogs are watching their own stew. Photo studio "Delyan" ensures complete transparency of the process - and after all, if something is public, then it is, so to speak, legitimate, at least to the point of being accepted with disgust. The opposition thinks that the photos of his loot in his office under the coat of arms are incriminating and that frogs will jump out of the pot - nothing like that. Finally, Boyko Borisov is also in a very public portrait - with his entourage, next to Peevski and his entourage. The opposition is in ecstasy - here is the proof, we warned that this is what we would get to, Peevski ate Borisov, a soft dictatorship is coming. Because in the age of hyper-media politics, voters are not very impressed by political facts and arguments, only visual exposures of the hidden are strong when it finally comes to light. And the backstage is precisely this terrible and powerful hidden - and it must be brought out in white pants in front of the spotlights in order to be rendered powerless.
Yes, however, this terrible and powerful hidden does not hide its power at all, the new beginning has been shining its body like a wrestler from the very beginning: look at me, I may be any, but I am strong. I'm not making a parallel, but neither Mussolini nor Hitler looked smart or handsome, and millions fell in love with their emanation of power, while other millions simply submitted to power.
Faking resistance to dictatorship
However, brutal dictators not only flaunt their false greatness, they also fake resistance to them. The enemy must be debunked as weak and treacherous, delegitimized. It must be shown that he is not what he presents himself to be, in this case - that he is infected with scabies. That is why the mantra about greasy Turkish coffees has been launched from the very beginning - and you were with me, in the hidden, now you are running, but I have revealed to you how you betrayed your voters. Now you are texting Borisov - it doesn't matter if it's just to tease and denounce him personally, it shows that you are being a dick, and he himself, the infected one, whom you want to save from me, has revealed your infectious condition. Come on, you too, into the pot!
This is how frogs from a common governing-opposition status quo are heated on the stove. And since the frogs are representative, their loyal voters are there too. And the rest of the non-voting creatures are indifferently resting in the swamp.
Controlling the process against boiling
However, as the boiling point approaches, the frogs may try to jump out of the pot or the water may boil over and wake up the external swamp reptiles with its heat. That's why a good master chef must periodically lift the lid, remove the foam and reduce the heat if necessary, in order to control the process to the end. The cooking can continue for an unknown amount of time - until spring, until the presidential elections, until the local elections next year... But if everything goes according to the recipe, it will be successful. At the same time, interest in the kitchen will shift to sectoral policies and limited political struggles over them - for the budget, for salaries and social security, for the steps towards introducing the euro...
Why it's not like in 2013
At least this culinary art can provide some explanation for why in 2013 so many people in Bulgaria came out against Peevski and brought him down, and now, when he is much stronger and more dangerous, they cannot. Because then he suddenly jumped out of the darkness into the light and it was easy to be knocked down and thrown back into the darkness.
Now the light is dimmed due to its contribution to the already widespread understanding, hybridly cultivated in its closed bubbles, that politics is ultimately a conspiracy. (According to a nationally representative survey by "Trend", 47% of Bulgarians believe that the world is governed from behind the scenes.) And so everyone who participates in politics is more or less co-conspirator, who only changes places in power or in opposition, which is why it is better to stay on the outside, resigned or disgusted by it. After all - whether you like it or not - there is someone to take care of "the people" - and for frogs like you.