EditMEPs to debate the capture of Bulgaria’s judiciary and Borissov’s party by Magnitsky-sanctioned Peevski
MEPs raise alarm over Delyan Peevski’s expanding influence across Bulgaria’s justice system and his "hostile takeover" of main political forces
MEPs raise alarm over Delyan Peevski’s expanding influence across Bulgaria’s justice system and main political forces, as the European Parliament on Wednesday (22 October) will debate the rapidly deteriorating state of the rule of law in the country.
Delyan Peevski is sanctioned for corruption under the U.S. Magnitski act and is described by opponents as an oligarch, who is weakly controlling the secret services and the prosecution, and is gradually taking over political power in Bulgaria. First, he took over his party “Movement for Rights and Freedoms”, ousting its historical leader Ahmed Dogan, and now he is seemingly increasing his influence on Boyko Borissov’s GERB party, the largest force in the country.
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The debate, to be held in pleanary in Strasbourg on Wednesday from 13.30, is about “the continuing assault on democratic institutions and the rule of law,” proposed at the request of the Renew Europe group.
In September, the liberals in the European Parliament warned that “political arrests” were taking place in Bulgaria, referring to the detention of Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev. The group called on the European Commission to suspend payments to Bulgaria from the Recovery Plan.
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A few days after receiving the letter, the European Commission announced that it would withhold around €200 million for Bulgaria under the Recovery and Resilience Plan due to unsatisfactory implementation of the commitment to re-establish the national anti-corruption commission.
Bulgaria returns to the European Parliament’s agenda after a series of debates held during the large anti-government protests in 2020, when the Parliament adopted a resolution stating that the situation with the rule of law in Bulgaria was rapidly worsening.
Ironically, one of the two initiators of that debate, Elena Yoncheva, is now politically backed by Peevski, who stands at the centre of the second debate in the EP on Bulgarian justice. The other initiator was Radan Kanev (EPP, Democratic Bulgaria), who continues to actively warn EU institutions about the grave judicial and political problems in Bulgaria.
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At the end of September, Radan Kanev sent a letter to the EPP leadership, warning that Delyan Peevski had launched a behind-the-scenes process, aided by Bulgaria’s compromised judiciary, which could lead to the capture of the country’s largest political party, GERB.
“We are witnessing a full-scale hijacking of the national security apparatus for illegitimate political and economic purposes and an unprecedented abuse of the repressive power of the State. The network, taking over most sensitive instruments of judiciary and political power, is easily traceable to the communist era secret services and organised crime networks of the ’90s,” Kanev wrote in his letter to the EPP, seen by EUalive.
He warned that “the most concerning is the latest development, in which there are most visible signs of takeover of the political parties in the country, including our strongest EPP party – GERB, which is effectively running the coalition government. Such a development is extremely dangerous for EPP, needless to say. It could easily put as back in the FIDESZ conundrum we escaped with so much effort and sacrifices.”
Peevski poses as pro-NATO, and pro-West but Kanev warns that this is only a façade. In Georgia, local oligarch Bidzina Ivanishvili has for years posed as pro-EU, but it is now clear that he only obeys the Kremlin.
According to Kanev, the “political-business-media machine, now officially controlled by the infamously notorious politician and oligarch Delyan Peevski, has on numerous occasions supported Kremlin’s narratives, promoted Gazprom projects and is lately adopting Orbán’s public messages and demonstrating close ties with the regime in Budapest.”
He said that in the Parliaemntary Assembly of the Council of Rome (PACE), Peevski sits with Orbán’s group.
“The model of takeover is, however, much closer to that of Ivanishvili’s business-political network in Georgia, making the concerns of a Russian link even more credible,” Kanev added.
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Warnings of a possible future “hostile takeover” of GERB with the involvement of the Bulgarian prosecution are not unfounded, given that a year ago the same process occurred within the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), part of ALDE and Renew Europe, which was effectively captured by Peevski.
“The process – already visible to the naked eye – of the gradual takeover of GERB by ‘New Beginning’ is far from harmless for the EPP. On the one hand, it undermines trust in the party in Bulgaria, even trust in EPP-dominated European institutions. On the other, under the influence of the circles around Delyan Peevski, GERB risks losing its geopolitical orientation and drifting towards Eurosceptic and even pro-Russian positions,” Kanev told EUalive.
According to him, the clearest indication of the EPP’s reaction will be whether its leadership allows him to speak during Wednesday’s debate.
“Genuine engagement” by Renew
Bulgarian MEP Nikola Minchev (Renew) noted that while, in theory, the European Parliament debate could turn into a political shootout between Bulgarian MEPs represening We Continue the Change (PP) on one side and GERB on the other, the discussion was likely to triger engagement at EU level.
He pointed out that the speakers on behalf of Renew Europe would also include Valérie Hayer, the group’s chair, Svenja Hahn, president of ALDE, and Sophie Wilmès, former Belgian prime minister, European Parliament vice-president, and chair of the Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group within LIBE.
“The participation by these three speakers is a strong political signal and a sign of genuine engagement with the topic,” Minchev told EUalive.
Minchev also noted that, in addition to Kotsev’s case, specific focus should be placed during the debate on the systematic problems Bulgaria continues to face, as highlighted in the EU Rule of Law Report. He listed the electoral process, political interference in institutions that should remain independent – such as regulatory bodies, the media, and the judiciary. “These are deficits of democracy in Bulgaria that must be addressed in the short time I will have to speak,” Minchev said.
Asked about Peevski’s influence within GERB and whether the EPP risks losing its Bulgarian partner due to the growing role of an MP sanctioned by the United States and the United Kingdom, Minchev commented that he was curious to learn what the EPP leadership thinks about Peevski’s influence over the current governing majority in the country.
“In Bulgaria there is a deep problem with the rule of law. Institutions are increasingly becoming a façade,” Ilhan Kyuchyuk (Renew) told EUalive. He expressed hope that the European Commission would take real measures to protect civil society in the country.
Kyuchyuk was twice elected as MEP with the list of the Movement of Rights and Freedoms, utimately taken over by Peevski. He led efforts which made ALDE and Renew kick out Peevski’s force after the takeover. Since then Peevski’s MEPs Todor Kabilov and Elena Yoncheva sit as non-attached.
Edited by g.g.
Caption: EP stockshots in the Plenary Chamber/European Union
Updated: October 21, 2025 - 07:17
