Before the elections, the state this time really entered the “operation“ mode. The actions of the Ministry of Interior under the leadership of Emil Dechev and the Secretary General Georgi Kandev against the buying of votes were not formal – they were massive, visible and with concrete results.
The facts are indicative:
– nearly 1 million euros were seized, intended for buying votes
– there are thousands of signals and dozens of arrests throughout the country
– only in separate operations – 16 detained in Pleven, 7 people in Ruse, 3 people in Pleven with ready lists and money
In other words – the network is real, organized and deep. These are not isolated cases. This is an industry. And this is exactly where the key moment comes that will show whether all this makes sense. Because there is already something new - the first real sentences, including a suspended sentence in Pleven for vote buying (according to data from ongoing cases and information from the prosecutor's office in the region). This is a small step, but with a serious charge.
The real question is not how many are arrested, but how many will be convicted.
For decades, the scenario has been the same - the police catch the “vote dealers“, the media show money, lists and notebooks… and then - silence.
There are no sentences. There are no consequences. There is no fear. And that is why the scheme worked. Now the stakes are different. If people – those who give out 50 euros, 100 leva, a package of food for a vote - start receiving sentences, the picture changes fundamentally.
Because:
it's not about “small fish“
it's about system operators
They are the link between the money (which is never theirs) and the election result.
Imagine the following.
You buy 200 votes. The money is not yours. You are promised an “umbrella“.
But suddenly:
– arrest
– case
– sentence
– or even prison
What will this look like in the neighborhood, for your neighbors, for your friends, that it will be on your criminal record when you want to find a job?
What will this look like for the next local “player“ who has to take the risk?
That is exactly the real deterrent. Because the umbrella is no longer secure.
The most important thing at this moment is not the action.
It is not the money.
It is not even the arrests.
And one thing: are the patrons in the system no longer there? Because for years these schemes existed not because of a lack of evidence, but because of a lack of will. And when that will appears - the result should be visible. Small sentences can have a big effect. The paradox is that it is precisely the “small dealers“ who can break the system. Not because they are the most guilty. And because they are the most easily replaceable. And when they disappear from the scheme - the chain breaks.
The conclusion is simple. If these people are convicted - even conditionally, even with fines - the next ones will think twice. If they are not - everything will be the same in the next elections. This time the state has reached the halfway point.
Now the most difficult thing remains: to prove that vote buying already has a price, including a sentence.
Reference
Interior Minister Emil Dechev presented data on which parties bought votes at a briefing after the end of election day. The signals in connection with election crimes in favor of a particular party are as follows:
- 631 signals for election crimes in favor of "DPS - New Beginning"
- 318 signals for election crimes in favor of GERB
- 18 signals for election crimes in favor of "Vazrazhdane"
- 16 signals for election crimes in favor of "Progressive Bulgaria"
- 13 signals for election crimes in favor of the BSP
- 11 signals for election crimes in favor of PP-DB
- 7 signals for election crimes in favor of "Velichy"
- 4 signals for election crimes in favor of "Ima tsav narod"
- 2 signals for election crimes in favor of MECH