Ivanov of Democratic Bulgaria Party has accused Dogan and Peevski of controlling the General Prosecutor’s office and the interior ministry, and has claimed Borisov is “afraid of” and “dependent” on them. “The hospital does not have enough protective gear, and it is not just our hospital that doesn’t. The difficult part is to find these things, not with the financial means,” he said. “[Democratic Bulgaria] could go beyond its unpopular legalistic discourse of guarantees for private ownership and anti-corruption and expand into wider notions of justice, which engage those suffering from poverty, exploitation, marginalisation and racism, and the lack of adequate healthcare, which are the concerns of the majority,” said Tsoneva. In an opinion poll released by Sova 5 in early July, before the protests erupted, just 28.5 percent of the respondents said they trust Prime Minister Borisov; 31.9 percent said they trust President Radev. “We will remain in power because the opposition will break the country,” he said in a Facebook live from his home. According to Jana Tsoneva, a Sofia-based sociologist, the main problem in Bulgarian politics is that DPS, along with all other major parties, are dependent on powerful business interests. Earlier this week, parliamentarians proposed a special package of measures to cope with the emergency situation in the country, including monetary fines for doctors who refuse to treat patients. “[Dogan and Peevski are] part of a governing cartel going back to the mid-2000s. On Saturday, after declaring that NSO will stop providing a security detail for Dogan, Borisov of the governing GERB party rejected the calls for his resignation. The European Union, which Bulgaria became a member of in 2007, has repeatedly suspended financial assistance for various economic initiatives in the small Balkan country over corruption concerns and its failure to tackle organised crime. Medical workers cite inadequate protective gear and equipment to treat patients infected with the coronavirus. Over the next 20 years, however, he came to occupy an important position in Bulgarian politics. That is, almost every doctor in Bulgaria is at risk of falling sick because of this, especially among us, the older doctors, who fall into the high-risk category,” she said. “Doctors cannot choose between patients based on one giving more than the other. Dr Kunchev, from the health ministry, confirmed the country is experiencing a serious shortage of doctors and nurses. Some have argued the crisis may bring Borisov’s long political career to an end and damage GERB’s chances in the next election. The average doctor’s monthly salary is 1,000 leva ($560), and nurses make 800 leva ($450). Bulgarian media mogul Delyan Peevski, who is one of Dogan’s closest allies and also a member of DPS, has also been using NSO security. I am the instrument of power that distributes the portions of financing in the state,” he famously said in 2009. According to Stoyan Borisov, head of the Bulgarian doctors’ union, between 250 and 300 doctors leave the country to work abroad every year.

Supplies including food and medicine remain plentiful. Other stakeholders include the Prosecutor General and whoever happens to be in power,” Dimitar Bechev, senior fellow at the Atlantic Council and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, told Al Jazeera. Bulgaria news Novinite.com (Sofia News Agency - www.sofianewsagency.com) is unique with being a real time news provider in English that informs its readers about the latest Bulgarian news. Dr Kameliya Bachovska from the Second City Hospital in Sofia told Al Jazeera she along with 84 other colleagues handed in resignations after they were informed their hospital would be converted to take in COVID-19 patients. Dr Angel Kunchev, the head inspector at the Ministry of Health, said all hospitals instructed to treat COVID19 patients have been provided with the required supplies. Ivanov accused Borisov’s government of enabling Dogan, who is seen as one of the most powerful men in Bulgaria, to encroach on public property and using taxpayer’s money to provide him security, although he occupies no formal government post.

“If doctors die because they weren’t protected, who will treat the patients, then?