LEADERS IN BULGARIA-THE RETURN OF THE FORMER COMMUNISTS

• Document Type: FOIA
• Keywords: EASTERN EUROPE
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 0005657417
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: June 24, 2015
• Document Release Date: July 14, 2011
• Case Number: F-2011-01070
• Publication Date: July 8, 1994

1. Since 1992, President Zhelyu Zhelev has presided over anon-partisan
govemment of technocrats headed by Prime Minister Lyuben Berov, a former economic
adviser to Zhelev. The Berov government, however, has a weak mandate because of its
non-elected status and increasingly has come under attack from the anti-communist Union
of Democratic Forces (UDF) for its lack of progress on reform; Berov has survived seven
no-confidence votes by progressively narrower margins. As Berov's situation becomes
more precarious, the government's main parliamentary supporter, the former Communist
Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) led by Chairman Zhan Videnov, has exerted increasing
influence in the legislature and over Berov's policymaking.
? Berov has yielded to BSP pressure to slow or halt economic reforms and to
implement a more "Slavic-oriented" foreign policy, according to pres
reports.
SUBJECT: Leaders in Bulgaria-The Relurn of the Former Communists.
The BSP's increasing influence prompted Zhelev-a respected Communist-era
dissident who advocates Bulgarian membership in NATO and other Western
institutions and rapid political and economic refonrt-to ublicl withdraw his
support from Berov's government in April. since then,
Zhelev has tried to persuade Bulgaria's centrist parties-including the ethnic Turkish
Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) and the Civic Alliance for the
Republi - Berov government, and force early elections in
the fall.
2. Berov remains in power in spite of increasing criticism within parliament, in large
part because of divisions within the leadershi of the BSP and UDF over when and how to
bring his government down,
? Videnov appeazs to have strengthened his position relative to Aleksandur Lilov, the
hardline former BSP chainnan, in a struggle for influence at the June BSP congress.
Videnov and Lilov have been involved in debates over whether the BSP should
precipitate early elections. Videnov has staled that he favors holding early elections
in the fall of 1994, but pressOsources have speculated that other BSP
leaders want to delay elections until at least spring to expand BSP control in
parliament before facing the voters.
? Similarly, right-wing UDF Chairman Filip Dimitrov and moderate UDF
parliamentary floor leader, Slefan Savov, have divided the party with their public
feud over whether the UDF should boycott parliament in order to force Berov to
resign. Dimitrov believes eazly elections would benefit the UDF and favors
This memorandum was prepared by the Office of Leader i n I i
Intellieence Oues[ions and comments can be directed to
(b)(1)
l.~l to
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 SUBJECT: Leaders in Bul aria-The Return of the Fotmer
Communists.
elections, according to the Bulgarian press.
Political Leadership Divided over Yugoslav Crisis
3. Although Bulgaria's top political figures all agree that Bulgaria should avoid
involvement in the conflict-including support for UN operations-and that the West owes
Bulgaria additional aid to offset losses suffered through sanctions enforcement, they differ
significantly over the culpability of the participants in the Bosnian conflict and the
appropriate role of the West in mediating the crisis.
? Zhelev has stated publicly that he considers Serbia to be the main aggressor in the
Bosnian conflict, strongly supports sanctions against Serbia and, atone point,
publicly advocated NATO air strikes to curb Serb aggression, Zhelev also supports
the US resence in Macedonia as a means to revent the widening of the conflict,
Foreign Minister
nts av as a ov s ares a ev s views on t e casts.
In contrast, Berov and BSP leaders argue that Bulgaria should expand its ties to
Serbia as patt of a policy to improve relations with its Slavic and Eastern Orthodox
neighbors, including Greece and Russia, Berov and his
BSP backers question the usefulness of sanc[iolts and turn a blind eye to sanctions
violations, according to press ounces. BSP leaders are suspicious of
US intentions in Macedonia an c aim at the United States is attempting [o gain a
foothold in the Balkans. I I
Conflicts in Civil-Military Relations
4. The Bulgarian military establishment is tom by conflict between the civilian and
military leaderships over issues of reform, control of the military budget, and the influence
of the BSP, according to press reports. There is mounting evidence that the
military leadershi robabl ~ to art ue to the BSP's owin oversight responsibility in
parliament ave begun to scale back
military-to-rru nary relations.
? .Defense )\linister Valentin Alexandrov has vainly attempted to improve relations
with the West, adapt to drastic budget cuts by cutting the size of the military forces,
and reduce the influence of the BSP within the defense establishment, according to
press~~ources.
Top military officers, including Chief of the General Staff L uben Petrov, have
resisted many of Alexandrov's efforts Petrov does
not oppose contacts with the West-he as pu tc y state tat u garia should join
NATO-but he has been active in renewing ties to former allies, including Russia.
a out t e s growing m uence m is minisv , BSP to alists' efforts [o block his
orders, and the party's attempts to replace him.