Will Varna be "magnetized" or is the leader of the GERB list in the city Vladislav Goranov simply "insurance against failure". This will be one of the most interesting questions, the answer to which will be given by the elections on April 19. The thesis that GERB leader Boyko Borisov is starting to build an alibi for a possible election loss does not seem to be without foundation. On the contrary, it is supported by specific personnel decisions and public behavior even before the start of the campaign.
The brightest signal is related to the return of former Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov, whom Borisov gave up when his name appeared on the "Magnitsky" sanctions list in 2023, in the active political game. This is a high-risk move that can hardly be explained by logic for expanding electoral support, if we are talking about the goal of winning elections. There are indications that Rumen Radev will win in Varna by a lot, because he has received the tacit support of the city's business. And this is quite significant for the future governance of the country.
So Goranov is more of a figure who mobilizes a negative vote rather than attracting new voters. In this sense, such a decision can be interpreted not as an attempt to win, but as a convenient prerequisite for explaining a possible weak result.
Varna further amplifies this effect. The region is traditionally sensitive to such personnel decisions, and intra-party tensions there are nothing new. Placing a figure like Vladislav Goranov at the head of the list creates prerequisites for both the demobilization of his own voters and internal conflicts - another element that can be used as an argument after the elections.
All this outlines a broader picture - instead of leading an aggressive campaign to restore lost trust, GERB seems to be preparing for a scenario in which it will not be a leading force. And the actions surrounding the lists, especially in Varna, and the return of figures like Goranov can be seen as part of this preliminary “insurance“ against loss.
Bulgarian trace on the “Magnitsky“ list
Bulgaria is one of the countries in the EU with the most individuals sanctioned under this law. The Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the US Treasury Department announced sanctions in two main stages:
First wave (June 2021):
- Delyan Peevski: MP and former media magnate
- Vasil Bozhkov: Businessman and gambling boss
- Ilko Zhelyazkov: Former Deputy Chairman of the Bureau for Control of the SRC
Second wave (February 2023):
Vladislav Goranov: Former Minister of Finance
Rumen Ovcharov: Former Minister of Energy
Alexander Nikolov and Ivan Genov: Former Directors of the „Kozloduy“ NPP
Nikolai Malinov: Leader of the „Russophiles“ movement