Политическата магия на „дълбоката държава“: как терминът завладя България
The Political Magic of the “Deep State”: How the Term Conquered Bulgaria

Author(s): Dimitar Panchev
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Social Sciences, Political Theory, Sociology, Politics and communication, Politics and society, Sociology of Politics
Published by: Университет за национално и световно стопанство (УНСС)
Keywords: deep state; political discourse; conspiracy thinking; populism; Bulgaria
Summary/Abstract: This paper examines the emergence and consolidation of the term ‘deep state’ within Bulgarian political and media discourse. Theoretically, it explores the concept’s definitions and its origin in the Turkish ‘derin devlet’, as well as its ideological transformation in the U.S. context—especially during Donald Trump’s administration. Building on this background, the paper analyzes the introduction of the concept into Bulgaria after 2019 through media and political narratives that intertwine conspiracy and populist themes. It argues that the ‘deep state’ operates as a political metaphor and communicative tool through which ideas of power, dependency, and institutional opacity are constructed. The conclusion provides a sociological interpretation, focusing on the erosion of public trust, normalization of conspiratorial thinking, and its use as a resource for political legitimization.

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