Author: Alexander Detev
What was the protest for and against on December 1?
Petar Tanev: The proposed budget was not in the interest of the state. In addition, the current government has no support and it is obvious to everyone that Delyan Peevski, who has been sanctioned for corruption by the US and the UK, is increasingly rising behind it.
I am amazed at how this protest is being instrumentalized. That it was almost against the euro, against Bulgaria's European future. This was even told to me by people I have known for a long time and who are well aware of my pro-European views - views that I have fought for since I lived in Russia.
"I don't want anything to do with Radev"
And here comes another narrative that supporters of the ruling party are spreading - that the protest serves Rumen Radev and the pro-Russian narratives that are spreading in Bulgaria. As someone who was on the front lines of the protest, how do you comment on this?
Peter Tanev: Regarding Rumen Radev - it is very clear that this person supports the protest because he sees himself as a political alternative. I personally, like the majority of the young protesting people, do not want anything to do with him. For us, President Radev is an example of how an external factor influences the future of a European country. In this case - Russia. After his statements about how Ukraine should surrender, I do not see this person as a factor that can positively influence Bulgaria.
I do not think that we can talk about a European future as long as we have dependencies that are holding us back. I want to ask the people from GERB and BSP: How does Bulgaria's European future relate to these dependencies on Peevski, who is trying to eat up your parties as well? How does supporting and agreeing with Peevski fit into the idea of a modern and democratic Bulgaria?
Working in Brussels. How do MEPs and representatives of European institutions comment on the events in Bulgaria and the influence of Peevski, who is also known there as a symbol of the oligarchy?
Petar Tanev: I am speaking in a personal capacity as a civil activist: people here understand that Peevski has influence in the current government and that it is growing, that he is buying up institutions, that he has influence over the media. We saw the coverage on the Bulgarian National Television. People in Europe are not blind. The European Commission emphasized that we may not meet the fiscal requirements if this budget was adopted.
The protest is not just about the budget, that is very clear. It demands the resignation of the government and a restart of Bulgarian politics. Does the pressure have to come from outside in order for these processes to begin?
Petar Tanev: It is very important that there is a signal from outside that things are not going as they should, and that Bulgaria's European future is at risk. It is very important that the leading representatives of the protest are in communication with the European institutions. I expect a clearer position from these institutions.
"Young people turn the protest into a revolution"
Who are the leaders of the protest? It started with the dissatisfaction of Assen Vassilev and PP-DB against the budget, but subsequently the protest united active groups of citizens - young doctors, activists. Whose protest is this?
Petar Tanev: This is a civil protest, also supported by political forces. When I was in the square, I saw many people who did not vote for PP-DB. For me, this was proof that the reason for the protest is that people do not understand how, when the people tell you that they do not want and do not like something, you can continue to anger them. I really do not understand how GERB does not distance itself from the statements of the representatives of "DPS-New Beginning", who threatened the protesters. Now for the people, they are equal to Peevski.
The fact that so many young people came out to the protest turns it into a revolution. For me, in Ukraine the revolution was a revolution of dignity, in Bulgaria we are talking about a revolution of the future. All my friends, all the people around me in Brussels are inspired by how young people can influence processes and change the system. Young Bulgarians are becoming part of world history. Because when they saw that Bulgaria's European path was facing a serious threat, they stood side by side and despite their differences, together they opposed a big "D" that could turn into a dictatorship. And they united.
A new era in Bulgaria is already dawning. In this new era, young people are standing up against this system, subordinate to Peevski. Generation Z says "no" to oligarchic control and the transformation of our country into a kleptocracy.
I have seen something similar in Russia. At the beginning of the century, Russia had a chance to become a democracy, but because of the negligence of the then rulers and the admission of oligarchs into power, people like Peevski built this system that embodies Russia today. Putin is exactly the same type of person - a person who bought out institutions, media, the judicial system.
For me, this is a personal battle. An example must be set. I remember how we did it in Russia. We need student protests. We need mass protests. You don't need someone to organize you. You go out with a poster, like I did in the Sofia metro, and you make a silent protest. You do it in lectures, in classes, people need to hear your position! It should be clear that there are enough people who are against the system that is trying to take over the country.
"If we allow Peevski to become prime minister, as he dreams, the end"
You give an example of Russia, but the opposition there failed. In Bulgaria, we are observing the same thing after 2013 and after 2020. The same ghosts not only come out of the closet, they cannot even be pushed into it. What are the mistakes - in Russia and Bulgaria - that should not be repeated?
Petar Tanev: It is difficult for me to say. I was born in 2000. When I turned 15-16 and already realized what was happening, the system was already under Putin's control. I would compare it then to what is happening in Turkey with Erdogan now. In 2017, when Alexei Navalny was investigating Medvedev, young people immediately took to the squares of Moscow in the same way. Tens of thousands of people. Unfortunately, at that time an authoritarian regime was already operating in Russia, not yet a dictatorship like today, which allowed for some democratic processes, but fictitiously. Going to a protest was already a problem then. The chance of being repressed afterwards was high. In Bulgaria, it is not like that yet. That is exactly why I say that Bulgaria is not an autocracy for now. Bulgaria is a democratic country with big problems. And these problems are the beginning on the path to what Russia is today. I am very afraid of losing my second homeland, as I lost my first. It is clear - if we allow Peevski to become prime minister, as he dreams, it is the end.
That is why Russia did not succeed. The Russian opposition lost because it was repressed from the very beginning. Bulgaria has a chance. The fact that the protesters in 2020 failed to remove the oligarchy means that people were not persistent. Such mafia systems are not dismantled with 1, 2 or 3 protests. Persistence and every single person to act are needed. Improvise. During the protest on Monday, I went to a restaurant where people were having dinner and said to them: "Sorry to bother you, but I just want to tell you that the Peevski regime will fall". And they started shouting and rejoicing. There are people who are afraid and are not ready to act. You have to motivate them, they have to see that it is possible. I did the same at the airport in Sofia. Before leaving for Brussels the day after the protest, I saw the microphone on the intercom and told the travelers that the Peevski regime will fall. I want to inspire people to act! This system will start to be afraid when everything gets out of control.