A week before the local vote in the small town of Nikola Kozlevo in Shumen, the candidates for the mayoral position are nervously warming up to step into the arena next Sunday (October 29).
Sparsely populated and underdeveloped, this tiny Deliorman municipality is one of those places where mayors hold “both the bread and the knife,” making local elections the most important political, economic, and social battle.
In the case of Nikola Kozlevo, the fight turns into a real war and is “a matter of life and death,” as its outcome will determine whether the “ruling family” Eshrefoglu will maintain control over the municipality, which operates under feudal-like conditions.
The head of the Eshrefoglu family, Eshref Rejeb, served as mayor from GERB for two terms—from 2015 until the summer of this year. He governed with a full majority in the municipal council, granting him control over all political, administrative, and institutional power. This should also be added to the family’s considerable economic power to understand why many residents of the municipality are dependent on the “Eshrefoglu brand”—for jobs, social assistance, firewood, and even on credit at local grocery stores, almost all of which are owned by the “ruling family.”
Eshref Rejeb would have continued to govern, especially since he was one of Boyko Borissov’s “sharpest blades” in the Deliorman municipalities, previously known as bastions of DPS. The fact that he had managed to detach one of them from the “fortress of DPS” added further weight to the position of the mayor of Nikola Kozlevo.
However, Eshref Rejeb’s assured third term was canceled by the anti-corruption commission, which in 2021 accused him of a conflict of interest and reported that he had paid from the municipal budget to companies owned by his two sons. All decisions of the commission were confirmed by the court, and ultimately, Rejeb had to leave the mayoral position prematurely, just two months before the end of his second term.
Despite the ruling for conflict of interest and the prohibition on holding public office, Rejeb was preparing for a third mayoral term, and the local structure of GERB that he controlled unanimously nominated him. After a long silence and almost at the last moment, the national leadership of GERB ultimately refused to endorse Eshref Rejeb as their candidate. In practice, however, Borisov’s party is helping him win the election again, or at least not hindering him by not registering another candidate for mayor in Nikola Kozlevo, thereby avoiding splitting the votes of the Eshrefoglu family.
Everyone Against Eshrefoglu or How Former Enemies United
After GERB refused to nominate Eshref Rejeb for a third term, the “ruling family” quickly migrated to another party overnight and found themselves within the ranks of the National Movement for Rights and Freedoms (NDP) led by Gyuner Tahir. One of Rejeb’s sons, Rejeb Veli, took over from his father and was registered as a candidate for municipal mayor by NDP.
The current municipal councilors and village mayors from GERB also joined NDP, and they are again candidates for local office, but this time from Tahir’s party. Thus, the previously forgotten NDP registered a full list of 13 candidates for municipal councilors in Nikola Kozlevo. Among them, there are only two new faces—Eshref Rejeb’s two sons, Kemal and Rejeb Veli. The remaining 11 members on the list are the current councilors from GERB.
The registration of the Eshrefoglu family led to an unprecedented alliance of long-time political opponents in the municipality. The old rivals, DPS and BSP, have united in a local coalition with the hope of defeating the Eshref clan. The two political forces nominated 29-year-old local farmer and entrepreneur Ismail Ibraym as their mayoral candidate. His campaign headquarters is located just about 20 meters from the Eshrefoglu office.
Another mayoral candidate registered in the municipality is Nedzhemedin Adem from the “We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria” coalition. His registration turned into a real saga, requiring the intervention of the Central Election Commission (CEC) several times. Initially, the Municipal Election Commission (MEC) in Nikola Kozlevo refused to register Adem, claiming that his documents were submitted after the deadline. However, the entry register showed a time before 5 PM, when the registration deadline expired, and the CEC ordered the MEC to register the candidate.
A week before the vote, both main contenders are confident that they will win the mayoral election. In the center of Nikola Kozlevo, where the Eshrefoglu office is located, one of the brothers—Kemal Eshref—recognizes our team and shouts across the square:
“On October 29, I will send you a special greeting!”
This implies that the family will once again take power, potentially even in the first round. About twenty meters away, in the joint headquarters of DPS and BSP, Eshref Rejeb’s opponents have gathered, hoping that local residents will overcome their fears and dependencies to put an end to the eight-year rule of the Eshrefoglu family.
Whether the mayor’s seat in Nikola Kozlevo will become “hereditary” will be determined on October 29.
Thus, in the elections on October 29 in Nikola Kozlevo, voters will choose between three candidates for municipal mayor.
Will the Mayoral Seat in Kozlevo Become Hereditary?
Even united, the opponents of the Eshrefoglu family will find it difficult to compete against their influence. While Eshref Rejeb was with GERB, his party won massively in Nikola Kozlevo. In the parliamentary elections a year ago, in October 2022, GERB won 60% of the votes, receiving 1,503 out of a total of 2,504 ballots. The second political force was DPS, with 21% (538 votes). BSP had the third-best result with 15% (120 votes), and “We Continue the Change” received 4% (99 votes).
The unwavering support for the Eshrefoglu family, despite their shift to a different political force, highlights their strong influence within the municipality, where voting often aligns with the mayor’s direction.
In Nikola Kozlevo and the nearby villages, the presence of campaign posters for Rejeb Veli, the mayor’s son, is unmistakable. His image is prominently displayed on properties, fences, roadside poles, and trees. As you approach Nikola Kozlevo, the abundance of blue posters for the NDP candidate is striking. Meanwhile, the DPS-BSP coalition is also vigorously engaged in this poster competition, ensuring that their presence is equally noticeable.
