Bulgaria's DPS Confirms EU Election List, Peevski Is Second

Delyan Peevski. Photo by BNES

Bulgarian MP Delyan Peevski, whose appointment as head of the national security service sparked nationwide outrage, was confirmed to be second in his party's EU Elections list.

The order in the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS)'s list was confirmed after the party introduced it to the Central Electoral Commission, Bulgaria's television channel bTV reported.

Registration documents handed to the electoral body on Easter show Filiz Hyusmenova ranks first, and Peevski is followed by Necmi Ali and DPS junior structure's leader Ilhan Kyuchuk.

The order was unofficially made public as early as Thursday, but by neither confirming nor denying it the DPS contributed to raising speculations.

The MP, who is regarded as highly controversial in Bulgaria, was appointed Chair of the State Agency for National Security (DANS) on June 14 last year.

The move triggered mass protests demanding that the ruling coalition led by the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), but with a strong DPS presence, resign.

Demonstrators accused the cabinet of "backdoor games" resulting in official favouring of "oligarch"-backed figures, which many believe Peevski ranks among.

After Sunday's registration, however, Peevski could be almost certain to make it into the European Parliament according to a vast number of polls, which suggest the DPS will get 2 or 3 MEP seats at the least.

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