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### Viewing cable 06SOFIA647, BULGARIA'S MOST POPULAR POLITICIAN: GREAT HOPES,

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
06SOFIA647 | 2006-05-09 10:04 | 2011-05-26 12:00 | SECRET//NOFORN | Embassy Sofia
Appears in these articles: http://www.bivol.bg/wlborisov.html http://novinar.bg/?act=galleries&do=detail&rec=1&pic=10469#galblock

`

    Tim W Hayes  02/11/2009 11:09:57 AM  From  DB/Inbox:  Search Results

    Cable
    Text:

    S E C R E T    NOFORN     SOFIA 00647
    CXsofia:
        ACTION: POLEC
        INFO:   AID DCM FAS FCS DAO PAO AMB POLM RSO

    DISSEMINATION: POLE
    CHARGE: PROG

    APPROVED: AMB:JBEYRLE
    DRAFTED: POLEC:JSENIOR
    CLEARED: DCM:JLEVINE, POLEC:BFREDEN, POLMIL:PNEMEC, RSO:TBURKES

    VZCZCSFI326
    PP RUEHC RUEHZL RUEAIIA
    DE RUEHSF #0647/01 1291004
    ZNY SSSSS ZZH
    P 091004Z MAY 06
    FM AMEMBASSY SOFIA
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1871
    INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
    RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

` `

    S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 SOFIA 000647

    NOFORN
    SIPDIS

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 05/09/2016
    TAGS: PGOV PREL PINR MARR ASEC KCOR KCRM BU
    SUBJECT: BULGARIA'S MOST POPULAR POLITICIAN: GREAT HOPES,
    MURKY TIES

    Classified By: Ambassador John Beyrle, for reasons 1.5 (b) and (d).

    ¶1. (S/NF) SUMMARY: Sofia Mayor and former Interior Ministry
    General Boiko Borisov has stormed onto the national political
    scene in recent weeks, founding a new movement that has
    quickly become the most popular political force in the
    country.  Borisov has denied rumors that he will be a
    candidate for president in this fall's elections; he seems
    instead to have his eye on the more powerful post of prime
    minister, and has publicly said that he does not want to see
    the current coalition government serve out its term.  Borisov
    has cooperated closely with the Embassy on law enforcement in
    the past and, publicly at least, remains strongly
    pro-American.  However, Borisov has been implicated in
    serious criminal activity and maintains close ties to LUKoil
    and the Russian embassy.  END SUMMARY.

    ¶2. (C) Borisov was elected mayor in November 2005, after
    overseeing the nation's law enforcement agencies as Chief
    Secretary of the Interior Ministry from 2001-2005.  He
    catapulted to fame in that job, personally leading raids
    against drug traffickers and car thieves and gaining
    near-heroic status in the media as Bulgaria's top
    crime-figher.  Borisov, who once described himself as
    "Bulgaria's biggest asset," appeals to the public with his
    plain yet colorful language, unpretentious behavior, and
    sharp criticism of the country's political elite.  He is the
    most popular political figure in the country, having
    maintained a consistent approval rating of over 60 percent
    for the past five years despite a mixed record against
    organized crime at the Interior Ministry.

    Something like a Phenomenon
    ---------------------------

    ¶3. (C) On March 27, the Sofia City Court announced the
    registration of a Borisov-linked association called "Citizens
    for the European Development of Bulgaria."  Though
    awkward-sounding to the English ear, the group's name was
    carefully chosen to reflect a balance between patriotism and
    pro-European values.  Its reference to Europe distinguishes
    it from the anti-EU extremist party ATAKA, while the group's
    Bulgarian acronym "GERB," by which it is commonly known,
    means "shield" or "coat-of-arms" and has a strong patriotic
    connotation.

    ¶4. (C) Borisov is not a co-founder of GERB, or even a member
    -- officially, he remains focused on his duties as mayor.  In
    practice, he serves as GERB's public face and has traveled
    across the country giving speeches at GERB events and
    inaugurating new chapters.  His efforts have been well
    received; the five week-old "citizens' association" has leapt
    to the top of the national polls.  In a survey released April
    24, 22 percent of respondents said they would support "the
    party of Boiko Borisov" if parliamentary elections were held
    immediately.  The Socialist-led Coalition for Bulgaria, which
    won first place in last fall's elections, came in second with
    19 percent.

    ¶5. (C) GERB's meteoric rise has siphoned away support from
    the radical nationalists of ATAKA, whose rating fell to 7
    percent, off a high of 11 percent in January (septel).  GERB
    has also attracted supporters of center-right opposition
    parties, which in recent years have become too divided by
    personality conflicts among their leaders to offer any
    meaningful counterweight to the ruling coalition. Borisov's
    nationalist, "tough-guy" credentials, pro-European rhetoric,
    and populist style have led many political observers to
    consider him the only man who can unite the Bulgarian right.

    ¶6. (C) Borisov has done little to disabuse them of this
    notion.  In a recent meeting with the Ambassador, Borisov was
    dismissive of other right-wing parties, stating that he
    "would destroy" ATAKA, and that the National Movement for
    Simeon the Second (NMSS), with whom he was once affiliated,
    "is melting."  If he were to ally with anyone, he said, it
    would be with the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF), the
    right-wing party which ruled Bulgaria through much of the
    nineties.  The party, which currently polls at less than 5
    percent, "is finished" in Borisov's view, but he would still
    consider a partnership, if only "to keep the brand" alive.

    ¶7. (S/NF) The timing and tactics of the Mayor's next move
    remain unclear, but recent statements hint at the direction
    he will take.  A May 2 interview in the high-circulation
    daily "24 Chasa" appeared under the headline quote: "This
    coalition should go home early."  In a recent conversation
    with us, Borisov was more direct, saying bluntly, "I will
    bring down the government after the basing agreement is
    completed."

    An Influential Ally on Basing
    -----------------------------

    ¶8. (S) Borisov has repeatedly assured us that he supports
    close relations with the United States, including the basing
    of U.S. troops on Bulgarian soil.  In a May 5 op-ed, he
    described the signing of the Defense Cooperation Agreement as
    a foreign policy "win" for Bulgaria, stressed the advantages
    of joint training and U.S. investment, and called on basing
    opponents to "hold their tongues in consideration of the
    national interest."  However, Borisov has occasionally
    strayed off-message, particularly when trying to make hay
    from the government's unpopular handling of the initiative.
    Speaking in Haskovo on April 5, he told a crowd of hundreds
    that he personally supported basing U.S. troops in Bulgaria,
    but went on to describe the government's failure to subject
    the basing issue to a national referendum as a "fundamental
    blunder."  Comments in a later interview were harsher; "On
    Iraq (the government) said that they would withdraw our
    troops immediately.  They didn't withdraw them; they sent
    another brigade there.  They gave the Americans bases without
    getting anything in return."  A letter from the Ambassador to
    Borisov taking strong issue with these comments had the
    desired result -- the Mayor has refrained from further
    criticizing the government on this issue, and issued the May
    5 op-ed (repeating large sections of the Ambassador's
    pro-basing arguments verbatim) in order to clarify his
    support for the joint bases.

    Bio:  From Fireman to "Batman"
    ------------------------------

    ¶9. (S) Born on 13 June 1959, Borisov grew up in Bankia, an
    outlying district of Sofia, where he was involved with petty
    gangs and gained a reputation as a neighborhood tough.  After
    finishing high school, he attended the Interior Ministry
    Higher Institute (Bulgaria's main academy for police and
    security services) and graduated in 1982 with a degree in
    Firefighting Equipment and Fire Safety.  He was reportedly
    denied entry into the Military Academy and more elite
    faculties of the MoI academy because his grandfather had been
    executed in a 1950s communist show trial.  After graduating,
    Borisov, who holds a black belt, became coach of the national
    karate team before joining the Sofia police force as platoon
    commander and later company commander.  From 1985-1990 he
    worked at the Interior Ministry Institute and was granted a
    doctoral degree in "Psychological and Physical Training of
    Operatives."

    ¶10. (C) After the end of one-party rule, Borisov went into
    business.  He founded his own private security firm and built
    it into one of the biggest in the country at a time when
    "private security" was synonymous with extortion and
    strong-arm tactics.  In the 1990s he served as personal
    bodyguard to late communist dictator Todor Zhivkov (by then
    out of power), and was later hired to guard former king
    Simeon Saxe-Coburg Gotha during the ex-monarch's private
    visits to Bulgaria.  When Saxe-Coburg returned to Bulgaria
    permanently and was elected Prime Minister in 2001, he
    appointed Borisov as Chief Secretary of the Interior Ministry
    -- a post that Borisov built into the most powerful law
    enforcement position in the country.  In addition to
    traditional law enforcement agencies, Borisov oversaw the
    National Border Police, the Customs Service, and the National
    Security Service, which is responsible for
    counter-intelligence and counter-terrorism.

    ¶11. (S/NF) Borisov promoted himself shamelessly as Chief
    Secretary, skillfully combining influential connections with
    media owners and Hollywood-perfect press instincts to ensure
    the favorable coverage that his image is built on.  Dubbed
    "Batman" for his brooding presence, penchant for black
    designer clothes and sudden appearances on crime scenes,
    Borisov built a PR machine that won him broad support from
    all age and social groups.  Journalists tell us privately
    that Borisov pays cash for positive coverage and threatens
    those who report negatively on him.  His tenure saw him
    hailed as "Sheriff of the Nation" despite at least 123
    organized crime-related assassinations and no arrests of
    major OC leaders.  To his credit, Borisov broke new ground in
    cooperation with U.S. law enforcement and intelligence
    agencies, and orchestrated numerous arrests of drug
    traffickers, counterfeiters and human traffickers.  He has
    attempted to use these ties for his own ends, often boasting
    of his close relationships with Western security services
    generally, and U.S. services in particular.  His regular
    meetings with representatives of the Russian Embassy receive
    less publicity.

    ¶12. (S) In private conversation, Borisov presents himself as
    almost violently anti-Communist -- an epithet he applies to
    the contemporary Bulgarian Socialist Party as well as the
    former regime.  He often refers to his grandfather's death at
    the Communists' hands and rails against the leading role
    played by scions of "old Communist families" such as PM
    Stanishev, Chief Prosecutor Velchev and Parliamentary Speaker
    Pirinski.  Borisov is street smart but often appears
    politically naive, as when told us he expects direct American
    support for his political career as a sign of our
    appreciation for his cooperation.  His high energy level and
    short attention span sometimes lead him to pace like a caged
    tiger.  He is exceptionally thin-skinned when it comes to
    public or private criticism.

    The Dirt
    --------

    ¶13. (S/NF) Accusations in years past have linked Borisov to
    oil-siphoning scandals, illegal deals involving LUKoil and
    major traffic in methamphetamines.  Information from SIMO
    tends to substantiate these allegations.  Borisov is alleged
    to have used his former position as head of Bulgarian law
    enforcement to arrange cover for criminal deals, and his
    common-law wife, Tsvetelina Borislavova, manages a large
    Bulgarian bank that has been accused of laundering money for
    organized criminal groups, as well as for Borisov's own
    illegal transactions.  Borisov is said to have close social
    and business ties to influential Mafia figures, including
    Mladen Mihalev (AKA "Madzho"), and is a former business
    partner of OC figure Roumen Nikolov (AKA "the Pasha").

    ¶14. (S/NF) Borisov has close financial and political ties to
    LUKoil Bulgaria Director Valentin Zlatev, a vastly
    influential kingmaker and behind-the-scenes power broker.
    Borisov's loyalty (and vulnerability) to Zlatev play a major
    role in his political decision making.  The Mayor has engaged
    LUKoil in a number of public-private partnerships since
    taking office: LUKoil has agreed to donate asphalt for the
    repair of city streets, take on the upkeep of a Soviet Army
    monument, and finance construction of low-income housing.  In
    a reciprocal gesture, Borisov has advocated using municipal
    land to develop new LUKoil stations.  Though this may seem a
    significant quid-pro-quo, Borisov's public agreements with
    LUKoil are only side deals in his much deeper and broader
    business relationship with Zlatev, which has been reported in
    other channels.

    Comment: Implications for U.S. Interests
    ----------------------------------------

    ¶15. (S/NF) Boiko Borisov is an unpredictable individual with
    unbridled political ambition and an apparently bright future
    in Bulgarian politics.  He may be capable of making good on
    his threat to bring down the current government, though not
    without political allies from within the ruling coalition.
    In any case, few people expect him to move before the
    November presidential election and Bulgaria's planned
    accession to the EU on January 1.  Borisov voices strong
    support for close relations with the United States, and is in
    a position to advance some American interests in this
    country.  His clear appeal to nationalist voters may
    occasionally bring him into conflict with U.S. policies, but
    it is also an opportunity to promote a more positive image of
    the U.S. to the public at large.

    16 (S/NF) Borisov's ego may provide our greatest leverage
    over him -- he craves international attention and
    particularly covets U.S. approval.  We must continue to walk
    a fine line between being used by Borisov's publicity machine
    and alienating an exceptionally popular and seemingly
    pro-American politician who may emerge as Bulgaria's next
    leader.  In other words, we should continue to push him in
    the right direction, but never forget who we're dealing with.
     END COMMENT.

    Beyrle

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