Български
EnglishExternal Factors and the Resignation of Rosen Zhelyazkov (Росен Желязков)
Host: After the talks with representatives of the other parties, we now give the floor to another opposition representative – Ivelin Mihaylov (Ивелин Михайлов) from Velichie (Величие). Hello, Mr. Mihaylov. Many people are surprised that Rosen Zhelyazkov (Росен Желязков) submitted his resignation precisely today against the backdrop of the protests. Was this a surprise for you?
Ivelin Mihaylov (Ивелин Михайлов): What surprised me was that it happened exactly today. I thought it would happen in January, because this is a foreign-policy position. I will explain why. Many people believe that external forces govern Bulgaria, but that is not entirely true. A state is subject to external influence when it lacks a strong domestic business element capable of defending it. You can see that in the National Assembly (Народното събрание) there are parliamentary groups that yield more easily to influence, and others where it is more difficult.
We all know that mafia figures govern Bulgaria. When external forces possess compromising material on those in power, they can easily push them toward certain actions. International laws act as a trap for them. I believe that the resignation is the result of external factors combined with public discontent. People do not want these rulers to continue, because they see what is happening in the country.
The Symbolism of the "Party Mafia" T-Shirt
Host: I notice that you are wearing an interesting red shirt with the inscription "Party Mafia."
Ivelin Mihaylov (Ивелин Михайлов): This is part of the resistance: "Bring the mafia out of the shadows." I am referring to three people – Ivaylo Prokopiev (Иво Прокопиев), Boyko Borisov (Бойко Борисов), and Delyan Peevski (Делян Пеевски). These people have captured the judicial system and the media and have turned Bulgaria into what it is today. I hope this shirt will remain as an artifact of a struggle that has already ended. This is an improved winter version of the T-shirts from the summer, and we also added Ivaylo Prokopiev (Иво Прокопиев). We see that all three are involved in the fight against the inconvenient, which is why we want to expose them.
Host: Is Velichie (Величие) ready for new elections?
Ivelin Mihaylov (Ивелин Михайлов): We are always ready. We are not a party that seeks seats in the National Assembly (Народното събрание) at any cost, because our livelihood does not depend on that. We entered politics to seek justice. Bulgaria cannot develop without justice.
Repression Against Business and the Case of Venelin Tashev (Венелин Ташев)
Ivelin Mihaylov (Ивелин Михайлов): I will give you a concrete example. In a hotel in Nessebar and Sunny Beach, they are planning to found a party on December 20. Someone decided that this is the president's party. The owner of the hotel, Venelin Tashev (Венелин Ташев), who also had problems with the "Party Mafia" during the summer, is now under pressure. The authorities go to him and threaten to close his hotel within a week unless he proves its seismic stability. They warned him directly: "If you allow this party to be founded in your hotel, we will shut it down."
This stops Bulgaria's development and makes Bulgarians poor. Money does not fall from the sky; the economy produces it. We must guarantee the inviolability of entrepreneurs and private initiative. At the moment, if you create something, some thug comes and takes it away. That is why we entered the National Assembly (Народното събрание) – to restore justice.
Host: Where does your information about December 20 come from?
Ivelin Mihaylov (Ивелин Михайлов): Earlier today we personally recorded a video with Venelin Tashev (Венелин Ташев). These are brutal repressions. Can you imagine the state closing a hotel because a party that those in power dislike is going to be founded there? This is mafia-style devastation. First they published a commissioned article on a website, and then they called him with threats not to hold the event. Tashev is a businessman; he is not a party member. Events by GERB (ГЕРБ), DPS (ДПС), and BSP (БСП) have been held in his hotel.
In the summer, the Food Safety Agency (Инспекцията по храните) closed his restaurant because of an awning that is the subject of a court dispute over whether it is legal. The Food Safety Agency (Инспекцията по храните) has no authority over illegal construction, yet they still closed the establishment. The authorities use arbitrariness to block business.
The Political Project of Rumen Radev (Румен Радев)
Host: How certain are you that Rumen Radev (Румен Радев) will announce his own party now?
Ivelin Mihaylov (Ивелин Михайлов): He will not announce it now. I assume he will wait. I am certain that Rumen Radev (Румен Радев) will enter politics before the next elections. The moment has matured for him to meet the expectations of the people in a situation of political deadlock. The current players in the National Assembly (Народното събрание) are compromised. President Radev (Румен Радев) has not been part of the party power and the dependencies that come with it.
The Role of Radostin Vassilev (Радостин Василев) and the MECh Party (МЕЧ)
Ivelin Mihaylov (Ивелин Михайлов): There are opposition parties that receive money to fragment the opposition. We saw this during the last vote of no confidence. Kostadin Kostadinov (Костадин Костадинов) came out and spoke against PP-DB (ПП-ДБ), which hindered consolidation. After him came Radostin Vassilev (Радостин Василев), who called his colleagues fraudsters. A person who wants to unite the opposition for a vote of no confidence cannot speak like that unless someone has ordered him to put on a circus.
Radostin Vassilev (Радостин Василев) is an instrument of the status quo. He threatened citizens. We saw how he pulled Hasan Hasanov's (Хасан Хасанов) tie in his office and threatened him with physical violence. Vassilev insults the Roma population as well, comparing counter-protesters to Bango Vasil, while at the same time seeking their votes. This man shows signs of mental instability.
The MECh party (МЕЧ) is also involved in vote-buying schemes. We have video evidence from Pazardzhik, where a woman admits she received money to vote for MECh (МЕЧ). We have never bought votes, but they do.
Arrests and Accusations Against Velichie (Величие)
Host: The court released information stating that the arrests of representatives of Velichie (Величие) are related to participation in an organized criminal group, fraud, and money laundering. Do you think this could be true?
Ivelin Mihaylov (Ивелин Михайлов): These are merely assumptions without evidence. I will give you an example. If someone accuses Darik Radio (Дарик радио) of organized criminal activity, should they also detain you as a host? One of the detainees is an employee on a labor contract with a salary of 1,600 leva. He is paying off an apartment, has a small child, and does not own a car. They entered his home and found no money. How can this person be part of an organized criminal group?
They also detained a lawyer because he was preparing documents. That would mean that any lawyer or notary could be arrested for doing their job. Another detainee is an investor. When a person invests, they bear responsibility for their investment; they are not subject to arrest. These are fabricated accusations. Out of five detainees, three have nothing to do with the activities they are accused of.
Election Forecasts and Possible Coalitions
Host: Your political opponents and sociologists give you under 4% in the next elections. How do you comment on that?
Ivelin Mihaylov (Ивелин Михайлов): The first time they gave us 0%, and we entered with 4.7%. The second time, our votes were stolen. At the moment, independent polls on social media give us high results, sometimes up to 45%. Our halls in Germany, the Netherlands, and Bulgaria are full, unlike those of MECh (МЕЧ). Interest in us is enormous.
In these elections we offer two paths. One is to be an uncompromising opposition, as we have been so far. We are the only ones who respond to people's problems. The second option is to participate in governance. Then we will insist on building a nuclear power plant, modernizing the railways, restoring irrigation systems, and guaranteeing justice for business.
We see meaning in a coalition with Rumen Radev (Румен Радев). Under no circumstances will we form a coalition with Boyko Borisov (Бойко Борисов) and Delyan Peevski (Делян Пеевски). I do not believe that BSP (БСП) and ITN (ИТН) will enter the next parliament, because they did not fulfill their promises. Voters themselves will decide whom to trust.
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