The chairman of the regional BSP structure in Gabrovo, Valeri Mitov, will lead the socialists’ list for the vote on October 2, as decided by the National Council of the party at the end of last week.
After relying on race car driver Krum Donchev for a mandate in Gabrovo during the three elections in 2021, Kornelia Ninova seems to have decided to listen to the voices of the Gabrovo socialists, who wanted a local figure as the head of the list in both 2021 and now.
In Gabrovo and the region, there has long been skepticism towards “imported” candidates, but the BSP headquarters remained deaf to these concerns. In fact, it is possible that Donchev himself decided to step back, as his name does not appear as a leader in any electoral district. It is, of course, possible that he could be in an electable position, just not as a leader, in some multi-member district.
Whether Valeri Mitov will restore the positions of the BSP in Gabrovo is difficult to predict. The likely answer is “probably not,” but it is not impossible. Ultimately, everything depends on the readiness of the local socialists, who are most mobilized in the municipality of Dryanovo, where their mayor is from the BSP.
Although he is a local figure, Mitov is not particularly popular. His political career began in 2016 when he became deputy chair of the BSP Youth Union in Gabrovo. Two years later, he became the regional chairman, and since November 2020, he has served as the chair of the Regional Council of the party, which comes with membership in the BSP National Council. However, for socialists outside of Gabrovo, he remains relatively unknown, which poses a problem when trying to convince voters that he is their representative in parliament.
There is more to consider. At the end of February of this year.
Mitov was appointed as the director of the state-owned company “Fruit-Vegetable” in Gabrovo.
His appointment was signed by then-Minister of Economy and Industry Kornelia Ninova. The ministry, which Ninova led at the time, refused to comment on the reasons for the appointment, which appeared politically motivated, as Mitov has no experience in the fruit and vegetable trade. Compounding this is the tragic financial state of the state-owned company, which has traditionally appointed individuals based on political connections, with sources indicating that the salary is several thousand leva. Neither the Ministry of Economy provided specific figures, nor did Mitov clarify.
In fact, the high remuneration of the manager of Gabrovo’s “Fruit-Vegetable” raises ongoing questions about why the state maintains a loss-making structure. The company operates five stores and reported a loss of 15,000 leva in 2020, yet its manager does not even have an office. Against this backdrop, a likely reason for its continued existence is that the state uses it to place its people in positions that require minimal effort but offer good salaries.
All of this leads to the conclusion that Valeri Mitov is a man of Kornelia Ninova, and through him, she is trying to bring the BSP in Gabrovo back into the game. However, the game has become rough, and with less than a month until the campaign begins, there is little time for rule changes. Additionally, there are many socialists who disapprove of Kornelia Ninova, and this disapproval can easily transfer to her favored individuals.
