The presidential elections are not a foregone conclusion, and the stakes are Bulgaria's European direction and the prevention of concentration of power. This was stated by the co-chairman of "Yes, Bulgaria" Bozhidar Bozhanov in the program "Darik's Week". He defined Andrey Gyurov as the pro-European candidate and accused Iliana Yotova of not being a corrective to the government of Rumen Radev.
„Andrey Gyurov is the one who will guarantee that all power will not be in one place. These elections are going to be a real battle of ideas and a real confrontation of what direction Bulgarians want to see the country develop in“, Bozhanov emphasized.
According to him, voters must make a strategic choice. He stated that Gyurov would guarantee that Bulgaria would not sabotage the European consensus – behavior that Bozhanov attributed to Radev's cabinet.
The co-chair of “Yes, Bulgaria“ criticized Yotova for ignoring the actions and statements of the prime minister without reacting. According to him, such a position leaves Radev alone to determine the image of international partners for Bulgaria and contributes to the isolation of the country from decisions on European security.
Bozhanov also disputed Radev's statement that “Europe will hardly exist for long against Russia“. He questioned the meaning of these words and compared them to the prime minister's criticism of European military aid to Ukraine.
“On the one hand, you complain that Europe is helping Ukraine and that is why Russia has not been able to complete a three-day operation for four and a half years, and on the other hand, you are putting Europe's cross with Russia as an adversary against it“, commented Bozhanov.
He described the statement as “ridiculous“ in the current context and suggested that it refers to the phrase “Always with Germany, never against Russia!“.
Bozhanov also expressed serious skepticism about the claim that the new government has abolished the “Peevsky - Borisov“ model. According to him, the weakening of his political patrons does not mean that the mechanisms on which he is based have been dismantled.
He stated that this model is based on the fusion of organized crime, judicial and political power. According to him, it limits economic development and hinders the increase in welfare.
“These are the well-known police-prosecutor mechanisms and bureaucratic tricks that reproduce corruption and illegitimate influences. This model has not gone away“, concluded Bozanov.