Breaking: Renew Europe Boots Bulgaria‘s DPS Party Amid Corruption Accusations; DPS Withdraws from ALDE
In a bold move, the Renew Europe political group in the European Parliament has voted to expel Bulgaria’s DPS party, stating that the party has deviated significantly from its initial mission of protecting rights and freedoms of minorities. The decision comes amidst a barrage of corruption allegations leveled against DPS leader, Delian Peevski, and his network.
A Timeline of Events
On Tuesday, January 12th, Renew Europe announced its intention to halt DPS’s membership, citing numerous corruption allegations. Following this announcement, DPS, in a somewhat unprecedented move, swiftly withdrew its three MEPs, Elena Yoncheva and Taner Кабилов among them, from the Renew Europe group before the decision was finalized in a vote on January 14th.
Peevski’s Response
Later the same day, Delian Peevski announced that DPS would voluntarily withdraw from the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (ALDE) party. The DPS party cited a "fundamental incompatibility in values" and "double standards" by ALDE in its handling of corruption allegations against Bulgarian politicians, including those affiliated with ALDE.
The decision was reportedly made following a deep analysis and debate within DPS, reflecting their conference’s conclusions and programmatic documents. DPS criticized ALDE for its inaction regarding corruption allegations against several Bulgarian political figures, and for tolerating connections to Russia.
Liberals Join ‘Sanitary Corridor’ Against Peevski
Meanwhile, European liberals have joined the ‘sanitary corridor’ around Peevski, expressing support for "Continue the Change" (PP), Bulgaria’s largest opposition party. They condemned what they described as a coordinated campaign of attacks against PP and its leaders, including Prime Minister Kiril Petkov, and voiced their concern over the purposeful distortion of DPS’s original mission and the ongoing purge within the party.
Renew Europe President, Valeri Hayer, emphasized, "The rule of law is the DNA of our group. We can’t afford to have a party led by someone sanctioned under the Magnitsky Act in our ranks."
PP’s Response
PP spokesman Kiril Petkov welcomed the decision, stating, "Today’s decision by Renew Europe sends a clear message that in today’s world, there’s no place for politicians like Delian Peevski who abuse power for personal gain and trample on democratic values."
He added, "This decision reaffirms the commitment of European democratic forces to creating a ‘sanitary corridor’ around oligarchic structures that impede Bulgaria’s development."
