I think the protests will continue. This was the prediction made to the Bulgarian National Radio by Boyko Noev, a former diplomat and Minister of Defense, an analyst on international and national security, and one of the founders of the Forum for Democratic Action.
He likened Bulgaria to a ship that is sailing in the stormy sea and has been taken over by pirates.
"The passengers are pushed into the hold and locked. But at any moment they will break the doors and drive the pirates away. This will inevitably happen. I even expect Borisov and Peevski to leave the country. At least for Peevski, I'm sure."
The stormy sea for him embodies the complex international situation.
"We see a thin oligarchic layer in the US, which has usurped power and is leading the country in the direction of money and personal gain. And American society sees this. A rebellion is increasingly brewing in the American ship. I expect that during the first midterm elections for Congress, Trump will lose his majority in the legislative body, which will be the beginning of his end.
Noev emphasizes the National Security Doctrine published by the US.
"This document shows a retrograde view of this country on the world. It returns the spheres of influence. But the most worrying thing is their view of Europe. This puts us in a new situation. Obviously, Trump has taken the path of the imperial division of the world into spheres of influence. This is evident in his relations with Putin. It's a lot of money. That's why the negotiations about the future of Ukraine are being held in some mansions by real estate brokers and the Trump family, who expect to extract significant material benefits from Putin and his clique.
The question is where Bulgaria stands, Noev pointed out in the program "Nedelya 150".
"Right now we look like a humiliated country that is on the war line, but doesn't know where it's going. Some pirates have taken over our political scene and want to sit at Trump and Putin's wedding table to extract some corruption morsels. This is how our reality looks to me".
For democracy to triumph in Bulgaria, it is very important that it wins the presidential elections, Noev believes.
"But if the ship crashes, the presidential elections will seem like a small intellectual exercise. That is why it is very important where Bulgaria is going".
The protests are not just about the budget, he said.
"These people must go. It doesn't matter what Temenuzhka Petkova brings. This is about the young. We see some mature people who have a clear idea of what Bulgaria needs. They see Bulgaria in Europe.
But there cannot be an honest political struggle here, a struggle of ideas, until the political scene is cleared of the mafia.
Six months ago, the situation was not so revolutionary. We started thinking about how to unite people against the status quo through the prism of the presidential elections. We saw that citizens are not convinced when paratroopers and party candidates descend on them from above. The idea came to hold preliminary elections in a fair and transparent manner. I am convinced that we will cope with this.
Talks are coming up with parties and organizations that want to join this approach to choosing a president. We are united by the desire this time to contribute to a fair election that is of great importance to the country.
It is mandatory to have machine voting, the former Minister of Defense believes.
"It should be enshrined in the Electoral Code. Electronic voting is the guarantee. Young people are making the revolution through their phones, we pay our bank transactions through our phones, can't we elect our representatives electronically?!"
Boyko Noev also commented on what weaknesses he sees in our country's defense strategy.