Apathetic voters turn to Borisov again, and the political impasse continues, writes “Politico” on the occasion of the results of the regular early elections in Bulgaria. As the publication points out, the party of the former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov ranked first, but again there is no clear majority to form a government.
Stoppage in Bulgaria
"Politico" quotes the political scientist Daniel Smilov as saying: “One of the main political paradoxes in recent years is that (almost) everyone is convinced of the corruption of certain individuals, but they continue to be at the head of the parliament and win political elections”.
The title of the German public media MDR is “Stalemate in Bulgaria” - it states that due to the permanent political crisis, Bulgaria is about to lose billions of euros from European funds. The media recalls that by 2027, 12.3 billion euros have been earmarked for Bulgaria in aid related to the pandemic, of which the country has received only a quarter so far. It was also noted that the political crisis is a fertile ground for populist formations, which have sprung up like mushrooms after the rain in recent years. MDR writes that the only thing people in Bulgaria long for is a way out of the dead end.
The formation of a government is again in question
The Austrian media ORF informs its audience that Bulgaria is facing a new difficult search for a government. However, even after the seventh election in less than four years, the formation of a stable ruling majority is once again in question.
The Austrian media writes that it is not yet known what the probability of a new coalition between GERB and PP-DB is, and observers expect rather another difficult search for a viable governing majority. ORF quotes Boyko Borisov that “people want a government, stability and security”, and according to the media, this signals a readiness to cooperate with the established parties. Borisov himself emphasized that he is ready for reasonable compromises, but within the framework of his party's election program, adds the media.
Benefits derived from "Revival
The right-wing conservative “Vazrazhdane“, which in the meantime managed to establish itself permanently in the political landscape, benefited from the political crisis. ORF quotes the manager of the polling agency “Market Links” Dobromir Zhivkov, according to whom the influence of “Revival” grows so much that the party becomes a potential partner of GERB. At the same time, however, Borisov admitted that “his partners in Brussels and Washington will not allow such a scenario”, Zhivkov told France Press.
The expert believes that the political situation in Bulgaria can also be influenced by the elections in the USA - a possible victory of Trump and his “indulgence towards corruption” could also pave the way for an alliance between GERB and the US- and UK-sanctioned Delyan Peevski, leader of DPS-New Beginning.
The European course is at stake
The German “Di Welt“ notes that the elections in Bulgaria have not brought any clarity, and the course towards Russia and European partners is at stake. The publication writes that on election night Borisov declared his readiness for negotiations with all parties except "Vazrazhdane", but it is very likely that he will not find coalition partners with which to form a ruling majority.
We are in the same place again and we are waiting to see if GERB and PP-DB will be able to come to an agreement - the German edition quotes the words of the analyst Andrey Raichev, said on Bulgarian television.
Bulgaria remains ungovernable?
The Swiss “Basler Zeitung“ asks the question “ Will the rivals be able to unite (GERB and PP-DB - b.r.) or will the electoral spiral continue?“. The publication quotes the sociologist Parvan Simeonov, who notes that the formation of a new government will be very difficult both mathematically and politically. And the deputy director of the European Council for Foreign Policy, Vesela Cherneva, told DPA that another election will only strengthen the image of Bulgaria as an ungovernable country.