The pro-Western party failed to take revenge in Bulgaria
The young centrist party “Continue Change” is leading the elections in Bulgaria, beating the pro-Western party “Citizens for a European Choice in Bulgaria” (GERB).
At the same time, the current president of the country, Rumen Radev, confidently beat the GERB candidate Anastas Gerdzhikov.
As PolitNavigator's correspondent reports, according to the latest data from Bulgaria's Central Electoral Commission, the Continue Change party, led by former Economy and Finance Ministers Kiril Petkov and Asen Vasilev, garnered 25.97% (275,320 votes). Meanwhile, the pro-Western GERB party, which had been thirsting for revenge and lost power in April of this year, and whose corrupt regime sparked street protests throughout 2020 , joined forces with the Union of Democratic Forces (SDS) in coalition with the Union of Democratic Forces (SDS), and garnered only 21.42% (227,101 votes).
In third position is the “Movement for Rights and Freedoms” (DPS) – 13.79% (146 thousand 153 votes), followed by “There are such people” (ITN) – 10,8% (106 thousand 836 votes), the Bulgarian Socialist Party – 9.99% (105 thousand 866 votes), “Democratic Bulgaria” – 6.11% (64 thousand 776 votes).
Kirill Petkov and Asen Vasilev.
The new elections were another setback for Bulgarian nationalists, whose revanchist, anti-Russian, anti-Soviet, and anti-Macedonian rhetoric has frankly worn out voters. While the moderate nationalist Revival Party is likely to enter the National Assembly with 5.19% (55,026 votes), the pretentious VMRO BND, whose controversial leader, Krasimir Karakachanov, served as Defense Minister in the pro-Western government of GERB leader Boyko Borisov, received only 0.96% (10,224 votes) and will not enter parliament.
Thus, the “Continue Change” party has every chance of forming a new cabinet, and, according to a number of experts, “Democratic Bulgaria” and “There are such people” could most likely become their partners, and also, with a lesser degree of probability, – BSP. The winners exclude cooperation with GERB and SDS.
“Our work will not be based on political lines, ideologies, right or left,” Petkov said during the election process. – We want to gather all decent people who want the changes to continue... We believe in right-wing tools to achieve left-wing goals. This means not raising taxes, attracting investment, freeing business from corruption in order to achieve increased incomes for pensioners, and improving the level of healthcare and education.”
At the same time, the leaders of the winning party declared their readiness to discard the nationalist husks and resolve controversial issues with North Macedonia, so as not to interfere with their neighbors joining the EU.
“We want a new approach to solving the problem between Sofia and Skopje. 65 million people live in the Balkans, and when we have a single market, free trade, infrastructure and we can fly from Skopje to Sofia in 40 minutes, everyone will live better. Balkanization and division in the region do not allow us to work to achieve bigger and better goals,” Petkov said.
At the same time, many call the “Continue Change” party an American project, believing that Washington prepared this force to replace the corrupt GERB, which provoked outrage among the people of Bulgaria. In any case, under the government of Petkov, who has Canadian citizenship, and Vasilyev, one should not expect a turn towards Russia, but perhaps, given the pragmatic ideas of the new political force, provocations against Soviet monuments will stop under them.
The current President of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, who is running for a second term, received 48,55% of the vote, while his opponent from GERB, Anastas Gerdzhikov, received only 21,02%. According to Bulgarian law, if none of the candidates gets 50%, a second round follows, which will take place next Sunday.
English version :: Read in English: The pro-Western party failed to take revenge in Bulgaria.