Thirteen Bulgarian MEP Candidates Were DS Agents

Thirteen people running at May 25 European elections were part of Bulgaria's Communist-era State Security (DS), the Files Committee has announced.

A total of 173 candidates have been investigated, according to the Committee's website. Other 145 have not been liable to inspection, as they were born after July 16 1973 and their affiliation cannot be explored under the current files legislation.

Former DS collaborators are most numerous among candidates of the Bulgarian Communist Party, but its chances for winning a seat are described as close to zero, according to polls.

The ruling Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) has one candidate, Evgeni Kirilov, who is also a current MEP. Among other parties with outlook to win more support at the vote, ex-journalist Nikolay Barekov's Bulgaria without Censorship, President (2002-2011) Georgi Parvanov's ABV and far-right Ataka will also be seeking to send a former DS agent to the European Parliament. 

A nationalist party, the National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria (NFSB), shows a strong presence, with three of its potential MEPs having served in the ranks of the DS.

Some names were already known to the Bulgarian public as DS cadres from previous releases of the Committee.

Bulgaria's Files Committee's list, as published on the website, includes:

Evgeni Zahariev Kirilov - BSP

Stanislav Todorov Stanilov - Ataka

Krasimir Donchev Karakachanov - Bulgaria Without Censorship, VMRO

Nikolay Georgiev Tomov - ABV

Anna Maria Lyudmilova Gyuzeleva - NFSB

Lyubomir Aleksandrov Zhelev - NFSB

Boyan Borisov Kirov - Political Party of Bulgarian Left

Vasil Petrov Kolarov - Bulgarian Communist...