Comment by Veselin Stoynev:
Initially, it seemed that the entire DPS-Dogan had been captured by Delyan Peevski. Soon after, it turned out that only its leader Dzhevdet Chakarov had been kidnapped as a prisoner, humiliated and politically beheaded. However, the threat of a complete absorption of the "authentic DPS" has not passed, on the contrary. DPS-Dogan has one last chance for survival, after an otherwise faceless leader was subordinated by the state machine "Peevski". All this happened because of his son Sami. Just days before, Dzhevdet Chakarov had tens of millions of leva seized in over 40 companies in which he has shares, including one of the largest solar parks in our country - – – – Verila“, as reported by – Kapital“.
And the DPS brand seems to remain in Peevski's hands, after Chakarov resigned as co-chairman of the DPS and the case in the Supreme Court of Cassation seems to have been decided in favor of the other co-chairman, named by Ahmed Dogan as – – Big Boy“.
DPS-Dogan's last chance for survival
Chakarov remains an independent MP, the DPS-DPS group is reduced to 18 people and has a new leader, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Hayri Sadkov - also a very uncharismatic person like Chakarov. But after Chakarov's departure, even preserving the integrity of the group is still something, because it means a breath of air for the survival of the Doganists - until the inevitable next suction. Inevitably, not only because Peevski has all the repressive power, but because DPS-Dogan are really scoundrels - in his favorite terminology. Just like him, but inactive sherbetians who have received ready-made electoral votes and hoops from companies (again in Dogan's terminology) and who now cannot even fight for their survival, driven by the “Scalp Hunter“.
The big problem, however, is not about DPS, nor about whether and when exactly it will be reduced to a single-person new leadership by Peevski. But because it is an internal battle for the monopoly on an ethnic group of voters, used to secure corporate-political power. And that is why it can hardly receive a response of civil and political solidarity in the entire society.
Apathy legitimizes the conquered state
In essence, however, this is another brutal manifestation of controlled state institutions that are expanding their own power. And the question is not whether the victim is black and deserves to have their scalp taken, but that someone can use the repressive state machine for their own personal gain against whomever they want.
Now no one feels sorry for Dzhevdet Chakarov, nor does anyone admire Delyan Peevski for this hostage political beheading. But it is precisely the disgust for him, leading to apathy and lack of disgust, that makes the arbitrariness with the conquered state go unpunished. Because the inaction and apathy of the general public in Bulgaria and large parts of its political representation legitimize the conquest of the state. And this facilitates the march of the “Scalp Hunter“ towards mastering new spaces. To the point of expanding his political influence through his power clubs beyond the narrow ethnic borders of a traditional ethnic electorate.
GERB Mayors Under Threat of Being Taken Over From Below
Peevski has begun to take over mayors outside those of the old DPS – such as the mayor of Gorna Oryahovitsa, who until yesterday was an independent. Peevski is unlikely to openly attack GERB mayors, but the processes of taking them over from below are inevitable, similar to his direct influence in the GERB parliamentary group. This will limit the positions of Borisov's party in local government, which are key to the sustainability of any party structure. And this is another motive, besides the desire for revenge, for GERB to attack large municipalities that Peevski has no way of taking over – such as Sofia and Varna.
If GERB starts to lose control over smaller municipalities because of Peevski, the chance to compensate for electoral influence is precisely in large ones, which are currently under the PP-DB banner. Thus, a direct political consequence of Peevski's invasion is not only the dependence of the central government on the New Beginning, but also a deepening of the opposition between GERB and PP-DB in localities.
The fate of many other politicians is to enter controlled ruts
All political players from other parties are directly threatened by the “Scalp Hunter” - not only the PP-DB, who were the first to fall under the blows of the repressive tools he controls, and not only his political rivals from the DPS-Dogan, who he successfully melts. They may not be directly scalped, but under the threat of such, they can be put into controlled ruts of political behavior. In the horizon of their survival, however, they risk losing their own political ground under their feet and sooner or later becoming redundant and melting their parties.
And the citizens will probably erupt against Peevski, as in 2013, when he headed the National Security Agency, only when he really becomes prime minister, as he himself vows, and which for now seems to be just a fiction worthy of ridicule.
If the parties and citizens do not join forces against the transformation of all politics into a subjugation of dependencies, then Bulgarian democracy will be scalped while it is still breathing.