One of the top headlines of "The New York Times" newspaper on October 16, 2008 was "Mob Muscles Its Way Into Politics in Bulgaria." If this is a top headline for "The New York Times" in 2008, then this newspaper definitely has to be shut down, because this is not a piece of news. It could have been... 20 years ago, but today it is obvious for anybody who follows even a little bit what is going on in Eastern Europe that Bulgaria is ruled by the mafia.
Even though that the article contains embarrassing information about Bulgaria, it is true information. The article states that different mob groups fight for real estate deals and millions in European aid. The European Union froze $670 million that were supposed to be used for Bulgaria's economical and infrastructural progress. Presidents of soccer clubs were publicly shot. Former wrestlers transformed into gangsters. Mobsters hang out in night clubs. Wealthy businessmen buy local elections. The member of the Parliament Atanas Atanasov said: "Other countries have the mafia. In Bulgaria, the mafia has the country."
The article states that Nikolov-Stoykov group is involved in criminal actions. Liudnil Stoykov, part of this group, financed the campaign of President Georgi Parvanov. In the meantime Mario Nikolov, who is charged with fraud, gave $137,000 to Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev and his Socialist Party (the former Communist Party). All of this information was provided by Sofia's mayor Boyko Borisov.
An European or American reader would think that things in Bulgaria are pretty bad and they truly are, but a Bulgarian reader would see something more in this article. Bulgaria is presented in the worst possible political and social way. The President and the Prime Minister are internationally embarrassed by Sofia's mayor Boyko Borisov. For a Bulgarian, it is obvious that this is a pre-election campaign for the upcoming parliamentary elections.
Boyko Borisov who gives all this information is the unofficial leader of the political party GERB ("The New York Times" does not mention that) which is going to win 2009 parliamentary elections and he is going to be the future Prime Minister of Bulgaria. The article aims to embarrass the currently ruling coalition because it does not say anything at all about Mr. Borisov. The same Boyko Borisov was a bodyguard of the former Bulgarian communist leader Todor Zhivkov and a founder of a private security company, which was illegal at the time. Later he became a secretary of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the cabinet of Simeon Saksgoburgotski. When Saksgoburgotski's party was not reelected, Borisov abandoned it.
Another reason to consider the article as a part of Borisov’s campaign is the fact that Bulgaria has never received so much attention by "The New York Times." The article is a headline on the front page and got an entire page in the political section of the newspaper. As mentioned before the information in it is not new and it hardly could be treated as a piece of news.
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