by IRIS

Sofia, June 2013

In the alternating showers and heat of mid-June, Bulgaria has been shaken by mass peaceful protests against the freshly
formed government. The thin, and a bit absurd, parliamentary majority, de facto formed by the Socialists (BSP), the ethnic
Turkish-dominated party (DPS) and the nationalist-populist Ataka party, instigated the popular action by an appointment
they made on 14 June characterised by informed observers and people alike as flagrant, insolent and stupid. Parliament
elected as head of the State Agency for National Security, DANS, one Delyan Peevski, a media mogul, public figure
widely known to be connected with oligarchic and mafia circles in Bulgaria, a person with connections in the judiciary and
a current MP from DPS. This caused a spontaneous outpour of people in the evening of that day in front of the Council of
Ministers building who organised themselves via a Facebook event, “No to the appointment of D. Peevski as Head of
DANS!” More than 10,000 joined this first protest, and between 10,000 and 20,000 have been protesting every day since
14 June on the original venue and marching along the streets of Sofia via an already established route.

See full PDF version: Bulgaria Chronicle 3 – Right to privacy concerns amid mud-slinging election campaign