Centre-right alliance ahead in elections in Bulgaria

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In the fifth election in two years, the GERB-SDS of former Prime Minister Boiko Borissov received about 26.5 percent of the vote, the Central Elections Commission (ZIK) announced on Monday.

Former Prime Minister Kiril Petkov’s pro-Western, liberal-conservative bloc PP-DB came in second, slightly behind, with 24.9 percent, according to preliminary figures.

Both camps agree to support Ukraine in the war against Russia. They also advocate arms transfers from the former Eastern Bloc country to Kiev.

The war in Ukraine, raging just a few hundred kilometers from Bulgaria, has clearly upended the political landscape in the southeastern EU country. The extremely nationalist pro-Russian party Vasrashdane (Rebirth) won votes thanks to the historically conditioned and widespread pro-Russian mood in the Balkan country. She also scored points with her rhetoric against the European Union and the introduction of the euro, against NATO and the US.

With about 14.4 percent for the time being, Wasraschdane is likely to emerge as the third strongest political force in elections in Bulgaria for the first time. The pro-Russian socialists, on the other hand, have lost some votes. Nevertheless, they are likely to return to parliament as the fifth strongest party with 8.9 percent.

The result of the elections with an unclear majority again indicates that it will be difficult to form a government. GERB boss Borissov and PP co-chair Petkov naturally wanted to wait for the preliminary final results to comment on their plans in the newly elected parliament.

Against the background of mutual insults and allegations of corruption between the two camps, Borissov had insisted at the end of the election campaign that in view of the war in Ukraine, a government composed of the two strongest political forces would be best for Bulgaria.

But the PP-DB, which acts as a reform bloc, has so far rejected any coalition with GERB-SDS as long as Borissov remains party leader. Borisov and his party were repeatedly accused of “corrupt governance” until the 2021 vote. For the time being, it was still unclear whether Russia’s threat in the Ukraine war could bring both pro-Western camps to some form of cooperation in order to prevent instability.

The emergence of the pro-Russian Vazrashdane may once again raise the question of Bulgaria’s foreign policy orientation. “Bulgaria is threatened with a return to the Russian sphere of influence,” political scientist Deyan Kyuranov warned Monday in an interview with state radio in Sofia. He called on both pro-Western camps for “statesman thinking” and “a good compromise”. However, sociologists have not ruled out a pessimistic scenario of yet another election.

(SDA)

Source: Blick