Radoslav Bimbalov, a writer, public figure and entrepreneur, took stock of the past 2024 on the air of the program "Our Day" on the Bulgarian National Radio. He examined the global and national processes during the year, sharing his observations and reflections on society, politics and culture.
Speaking about his novel "You, My Resemblance", Bimbalov shared: "The novel was warmly received by readers, which surprised me, because the topic I have taken up is quite difficult to swallow. This is a dystopian view of the present, which is not easy to understand. Some of the issues I touch on are painful and uncomfortable, but they are clearly important to people."
Reflecting on global events, he focused on the Olympics, which, in his opinion, illustrated the loss of compassion in society. "One of the events this year dramatically showed the lack of empathy, of understanding for others. The Olympics, an event that was created to unite us, actually divided us. This is sad and indicative of the state of humanity."
Bimbalov also expressed his concerns about the political situation in Bulgaria: "There is no political crisis in Bulgaria, there is a hostage crisis. We and the political parties are hostages to the interests of several groups. And these are criminal groups, there is no point in veiling them behind other definitions. They dominate public and political life and dictate the rules."
He also made a prediction about the role of President Rumen Radev in the future of the country: "President Radev will very soon fill a large empty space. People who are looking for their savior on a white horse again will see him in this role. This is the way our society often acts – with the hope of a miracle."
Looking at the protests of past years, Bimbalov drew a parallel between the events of 2013 and 2020: "In 2013, a huge energy against corruption models emerged, which was related to Peevski's desire to take control of the services. Then this energy was broken in various ways. These are methods that the backstage is very good at and which have been inherited by the services.“ He added: “In 2020 we saw such energy accumulated against the status quo and corruption. Then Borisov did not dare to go to work for a long time, because it was seething and boiling under his windows. But this energy was again shattered."
Commenting on recent events, he mentioned the scandals surrounding the National Theater, referring to the highly discussed election of the PR as a symbol of this division: "Even what was happening at the National Theater, which seems very far from everything, was the last blow of the knife on our small society of people who wanted some modern change. Then they divided us completely."
With his words, Radoslav Bimbalov outlined the picture of a year filled with divisions, but also with opportunities for rethinking. "A thinking person could not say that he is an extreme liberal or an extreme conservative, because that is ridiculous. And right now they are trying to do exactly that to us - to push us to extremes. The question is how much will we allow ourselves to be manipulated."