site.btaContinue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria Blockade Around Parliament Sparks Political Reactions

On Thursday morning, MPs from Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) used their cars to block the entrances to Parliament's parking lot to prevent the vehicles driving GERB leader Boyko Borissov and MRF-New Beginning Floor Leader Delyan Peevski from entering. The blockade resulted in a heavy police presence around the Parliament building.

The Interior Ministry said the entrances to the National Assembly were blocked without authorization from City Hall.

The CC-DB coalition took this step in support of Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev, who was detained on July 8 on charges of bribery, and Sofia Deputy Mayor Nikola Barbutov, who was charged with bribery in late June. One of the cars blocking the parking lot was covered with signs that read "Today it's Blago [short for Blagomir]. Tomorrow it's going to be you" and "Nikola, we are with you."

CC Chair Assen Vassilev told BTA that his party will not prevent MPs from entering the National Assembly building; the goal is to have MPs "walk on foot and talk to the people".

Former CC-DB co-leader Kiril Petkov told reporters: "In 2025, it is unacceptable to have political prisoners. We have four people who have been in custody for two months without a conviction, with the right to one hour of daylight, and who are bitten by bedbugs."

Petkov continued: "The idea is that Mr Peevski and Mr Borissov enter exclusively through this entrance, with the most expensive cars and security in the country. (...) It is not normal for an MP to take only a few steps before entering Parliament, rather than using the sidewalk like everyone else."

Petkov also told reporters: "I hope that the gendarmerie and the police will keep their promise that only ambulances and fire trucks will be allowed access, but no MPs will be allowed through the cordon, including the owner of the most expensive car in the country - Peevski, who is just an ordinary MP but has a car that is more expensive than the Prime Minister's. It would be very funny if the fat man of the State were put in the trunk of the ambulance, I would be delighted. If he was so scared, he may have hidden [there], I don't know."

Commenting on the situation outside the National Assembly which had led to increased police presence, Atanas Atanassov MP of CC-DB said the blockade of Parliament was intended to show the public who runs the country.

With his usual means of entry blocked by CC-DB, Delyan Peevski reached the building on foot after he got into a verbal altercation with representatives of CC-DB. He called the coalition's MPs "thieves" and declared that he will "make a State with a capital S". He also said: "These people ran out of motives yesterday [a reference to Wednesday's debate on a motion of no confidence in the Cabinet]. It is easy for us to do the same, because people hate them and want to beat them up, but we are a different party."

GERB Leader Boyko Borissov interpreted the blocked access to Parliament as CC-DB's latest attempt to prevent the euro changeover in Bulgaria. Concerning the vote of no confidence in the government due later in the day, Borissov said: "The opposition are ostensibly active to make themselves noticed by the people, but they know that nothing will come out of it. I will not even bother to take part in the vote. I don't care if it is successful or not. The Bulgarian people should realize how irresponsible those people are, because without a government there can be no eurozone membership, no state budget. A possible caretaker government cannot take us into the eurozone."

Meanwhile, the Vazrazhdane party issued a declaration from the parliamentary rostrum about the increased police presence around the building. The Interior Ministry is visible on Bulgaria's streets only in two situations - when it is hiding in bushes to fine drivers and revoke their licences, because the depleted state budget cannot be replenished otherwise, or when there are protests, Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov commented. "When a regime turns against its own people, as we are witnessing right now, it is the duty of the people to bring it down," he also said.

Velichie leader Ivelin Mihaylov talked to reporters about what he called "the outrageous arrogance of the ruling coalition, which includes Delyan Peevski". "We saw this morning how a small private army cordoned off the entire city centre and the National Assembly. People couldn’t get through - I was an hour late - simply because someone decided to seal off the area so that they could arrive comfortably with ambulances and buses," Mihaylov said.

A police officer died of a heart attack while on duty outside Parliament. The MPs held a minute of silence for the deceased police officer as proposed by Kalin Stoyanov of the MRF-New Beginning, who is a former interior minister. Stoyanov read out a declaration on behalf of his parliamentary group expressing condolences for the policeman's passing. The declaration sparked a political dispute between his group and CC-DB.

On Thursday evening, the Interior Ministry said the blockade, which had no authorization from the municipal authorities, affected access points within the Parliament's security zone, including routes for ambulances and fire engines. Sofia Municipality told BTA that CC-DB had only filed a request for a protest in Independence Square, which does not include the security area around Parliament.

Police found groups, mostly MPs, blocking Parliament's entrances and exits with vehicles outside the authorized time and place. Immediate measures were taken to ensure access for blue lamp vehicles and parliamentary service cars, the Interior Ministry said.