Election in Bulgaria: protest by ballot?

For a year now, a large part of the Bulgarian population has been turning against ex-Prime Minister Borrisov. Now the Bulgarians are supposed to elect a new parliament. But do the small protest parties have a chance?

Svetozar Dikow stands in the so-called triangle of power in Bulgaria’s capital Sofia. A year ago, mass protests against the then government of Boyko Borisov began on the square between the presidential seat, parliament and the Council of Ministers.

Dikow also demonstrated against corruption and mismanagement and for an independent judiciary: “Actually, the protests have achieved their goal. The people woke up and freed themselves from fear. And I pray that I will not only meet Borissov and his GERB party, but also generally never see such structures again. ”

In the parliamentary elections, the 53-year-old wants the so-called protest parties to win, such as “There is such a people” by TV presenter, musician and producer Slavi Trifonov. The parties “Democratic Bulgaria” and “Get up! Mafia out”, for which Arman Babikjan is running, are also included.

“Streaked with Corruption”

Babikjan led the protests back then and now stands in the heat under a shady tree and honors photographers of the protests. In the case of a government of the anti-GERB camp, the gray-haired candidate expects resistance: “I expect that mafia capital and the politicians who depend on it will confront us. Our entire administration, our security services, our judicial system are riddled with corruption. And me knows it will be very difficult and we won’t get it done quickly. ”

Protest parties would have to rely on government partners

According to the latest surveys, however, the so-called protest camp does not achieve the required majority in parliament and would have to look for partners, according to Dimitar Ganew from the Trend survey institute in Sofia.

“The protests channeled public discontent and gave it a clear expression,” said Ganew. Up to 60 percent of the population supported the protests. “You created an atmosphere of intolerance towards the Borisov government.” After a total of almost eleven years, there is a tiredness with the right-wing conservative GERB von Borissow, according to Ganew.

The party had won the election at the beginning of April, but the formation of a government failed and the transitional government caused a sensation until the new election. It systematically prosecuted corruption and exposed billions in tax debts that had not been recovered.

Transitional government pursues “zero corruption policy”

“We were very motivated and wanted to show the public that a zero-corruption policy brings us forward,” says Kiril Petkov, Minister of Economics in the transitional government.

The transitional government also took action against the non-transparent allocation of public funds and criticized the lending of the state development bank to only a few private companies. Just one number: between 2017 and 2020, the Bulgarian budget lost the equivalent of five billion euros.

The entrepreneur Petkov will continue to be traded for a political office. “I think the public is tired of the fact that Bulgaria and people’s everyday lives are associated with the word corruption,” he says. “And even if it is not made up of experts from the private sector, I have a feeling that the next government will stick to the ‘no corruption’ course.”

Borisov’s GERB has to fear for a leadership role

The eleven years in office of the Borissov GERB were riddled with corruption scandals, after which the public prosecutor generally remained inactive. In surveys, the party is only around 20 percent and has to fight for first place with “There is such a people” by Slawi Trifonow.

Borissov relies on the regular voters and finds the transitional government undemocratic: “This is not a democracy. That there is terror, that there is repression and all of this against a single party – even children have seen that. I turn to the other political parties. So the communists defeated the opposition in September 1944 and then ruled for 45 years. They will come to you after us. ”

As things stand, no relevant party wants to form a coalition capable of governing with the GERB. Even as the election winner, she would then have to join the opposition, says political scientist Ganew: “Every mistake by the next government will be used by the GERB to try to rehabilitate itself. But here comes the big question about Borisov. The vast majority of supporters vote because of it him for GERB. ”

Change will take time

Meanwhile, in the triangle of power, a protest song is being heard, which is not exactly saying goodbye to Borisov and many are bobbing along. Also Dikow:

In my opinion, everything is still to come. Because eleven years of this power cannot be overcome in ten days, two months or two years.

The polling stations in Bulgaria close at 7 p.m. First results are expected in the course of the evening.