Since the spring of 2021, the country has experienced political instability unprecedented since the end of communism
Parliamentary elections are held next Sunday in Bulgaria, for the fourth time in 18 months, with forecasts predicting a further divided Parliament and a difficult crossword puzzle for forming a government, in a backdrop upended by the war in Ukraine.
Since the spring of 2021, the country has experienced political instability unprecedented since the end of communism. In a déjà -vu-like scenario, the protagonists of the vote are the same, but the cards have been re-dealt.
The former prime minister Boyko Borisovwho lost power after ten years in office, may make a strong comeback, according to opinion polls released today that credit Gerb’s conservative party with more than 25% in voter intent, up from 22.7% in last elections held in November.
His motto: “we are stronger than chaos”.
This hulking 63-year-old saw support for his party dwindle in 2020 due to mass protests against endemic corruption. But after a journey in the political wilderness, he is back amid concerns of a population facing soaring prices.
He plows the Bulgarian countryside, decrying the “inexperience” of his liberal rival Kirill Petkov, who ruled for just seven months before being ousted by a vote of no confidence in June.
After being elected on a promise to root out corruption, the 42-year-old Harvard-educated former businessman formed a motley four-party coalition.
But he was overtaken by the conflict in Ukraine and the energy crisis, which dominated public debate during the election campaign under the watchful eye of President Rumen Radev with alleged pro-Russian sympathies.
In this former communist coalition country with strong historical, economic and cultural ties to Moscow, the Russian offensive is deeply dividing society.
Many citizens believe that the Kremlin is not responsible for the current situation and are ready to vote for the pro-Russian ultra-nationalist party Vazrajdane (“Renaissance”), which may enter Parliament — polls give it 11% to 14% of the vote. The socialists, who are also close to Moscow, gather for their part almost 10%.
“Bulgaria is divided between, on the one hand, nostalgia for the USSR, and on the other, the EU and modernization,” underlines political scientist Georgi Kyriakov.
In these conditions, the refusal of the Petkov government to pay the giant Gazprom in rubles, the expulsion of dozens of diplomats, the battle against “Russian influence networks” did not go down well, while, on the contrary, Borisov always managed to maneuver between different interests .
In an interview with AFP, Petkov defended his government’s account. “The rule of law has started to return to Bulgaria,” he says, speaking of a “fundamental first step” towards “normality”.
And despite what the polls show his party Continue the Change (PP) to lose nine percentage points (polls give him a percentage of around 16.5% from 25.7% in the last early elections), hopes that voters will again choose “a new European, progressive, transparent Bulgaria” and not that of a regression.
Knowing the desperation of Bulgarians facing inflation approaching 20%, his partner Asen Vassilev, head of the finance ministry, sees the fight against corruption as the panacea for all ills.
“How are we going to increase people’s incomes? We have to find money from somewhere,” he says. The solution: redirect public money that has been misused for pensions, health and education.
So when one asks the two men if they are ready to ally with Boyko Borisov, with his shameful practices, their answer is: “No with an exclamation point!”.
But without a compromise between the country’s two biggest political forces, the chances of forming a government are slim, analysts say.
According to the opinion polls, none of them will have an absolute majority.
The Turkish minority party MRF he is expected to come third with 12% to 13% of the vote.
Gerb says it is “open to all” in order to “ensure stability” in this turbulent period, including the formation of a minority or expert government.
For analyst Georgi Kyriakov, “Vazrajdane’s behavior will be crucial.”
Continual political crises are hastening the exodus of young people in a country that has already lost a tenth of its population within a decade.
The population stands at just 6.52 million compared to nearly 9 million in 1989, when communism fell.
RES-EMP
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I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
