ALDE-affiliated Bulgarian Rogue Candidate Withdraws

From Euractiv

Much to the relief of the European liberal family, Delyan Peevski, a controversial candidate from the ALDE-affiliated “Movement of Rights and Freedoms” (DPS) announced during the election night that in spite of being elected, he would not take up his seat as MEP.

Peevski, 33, a member of parliament from DPS, a political party representing the Turkish minority in Bulgaria, surprisingly announced he would not take his seat, which he ceded to Iskra Mihaylova, currently minister of ecology from the same political group.

In Bulgaria, Peevski is considered a symbol of the shady power brokerage that has impoverished Bulgarians, and ruined the country's reputation. Officially, Peevski has no property, but it is widely assumed that he controls vast economic interests, and a powerful media group, which is waging a dirty war against his political opponents.

The appearance of Peevski at the press conference following the election was a surprise for many, as the MP avoids contacts with the press.

Last June, the Bulgarian parliament voted to make Peevski the head of the country’s State Agency for National Security (DANS). This almost brought down the then two-week old government of Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski, who leads a minority coalition between the Socialists and the DPS. The situation also embarrassed Sergey Stanishev, the leader of the Bulgaria Socialist Party (BSP), who is also leader of the Party of European Socialists (PES)

Peevski said that he didn’t understand why he was blamed for trying to obtain the DANS seat. He complained that the country’s law-enforcement institutions were “submerged by false signals” against him.

The stepping down of Peevski is likely to be a relief for the...