The political tension before the upcoming elections is rising, and the emergence of new players and internal turmoil in the major parties are rearranging the political terrain. About the composition of the caretaker cabinet, the entry of Rumen Radev into active politics, the processes in GERB and the scandal between Boyko Borisov and Delyan Dobrev... Tsvetan Tsvetanov, leader of „Republicans for Bulgaria“, speaks to FACTI.
– Mr. Tsvetanov, what do you think of the composition of Andrey Gyurov's caretaker cabinet? Does it give hope for fair elections, despite the first correction with the withdrawal of Stoil Tsitselkov?
– We must give every caretaker government credit for trust. Its main priority under the Constitution is to guarantee and hold fair and transparent elections. For the first time, we have a Deputy Prime Minister without portfolio in the person of Stoil Tsitselkov, who is specifically responsible for the fairness and transparency of the electoral process. However, it turned out that we are off to a false start, after data from 2010 and 2011 about his use of marijuana, driving with a blood alcohol level of 1.5 per mille and violation of the Code of Conduct for EU election observation missions emerged in the public domain. This is serious reputational damage to the caretaker government of Andrey Gyurov.
– Wasn't this thought out from Stoil Tsitselkov's past?
– After the recent constitutional changes, the caretaker Prime Minister has seven days to present the structure and composition of the Council of Ministers. In such a short period of time, it is possible to mistakes made. I am convinced that Mr. Gyurov has good intentions, but when he does not know people well enough and the proposals come from different sides, such situations can arise. I believe that after what happened to Stoil Tsitselkov, he no longer has a place in the Public Council of the Central Election Commission.
– President Rumen Radev has entered the political arena. Do you see him as the leader of a party?
– Formally, we have not yet seen him in such a role. The deadline for creating a party is short. He could probably appear in a coalition format, as other new formations did in their first participation in elections. In society, Rumen Radev is perceived as an alternative to the status quo and as a tool for dismantling the “Borisov-Peevski“ model. This could lead to serious support and higher voter turnout. I assume that after the elections he could create his own political project in which he would take on the role of leader.
– A ten percent lead for Rumen Radev over GERB, without a party and a team – is it a little, or a lot?
– This is an extremely good lead over his main political opponent in the person of Boyko Borisov. I know the processes in GERB well and I assess the situation in the current state of the party. For the first time, GERB could fall below 500 thousand votes, even below 450 thousand. This would be a severe political catastrophe.
– We saw a discord between Boyko Borisov and Delyan Dobrev. What is happening in GERB?
– The scandal is serious and internal. Initially, it was known to a limited circle of people in GERB before it became public. This shows a destroyed trust between the two. The glass is broken. Borisov tried to glue it back together, but it can no longer be the same. I think that Delyan Dobrev - before or after the elections - will take steps towards a gradual withdrawal from active politics.
- What is the conflict?
- He was provoked by a comment made by Borisov in a narrow circle. This is his style - "divide and rule". When he asked where Dobrev was, he was told that he was traveling, and Borisov stated that he was apparently "at the Thessaloniki customs". These words affected Dobrev and thus escalated the long-simmering conflict between them.
- What does "Thessaloniki customs" mean?
- Borisov must explain.
- Delyan Dobrev has withdrawn from GERB before. You also defended him. What happened before years?
– I have defended principled positions and the people who built the party in the first governing term and were subjected to unprincipled political attacks by our opponents. I have always believed that the parliamentary group should be a strong and united team. When the leader is ready to sacrifice his deputies for personal comfort, I was obliged to protect them. Without a strong parliamentary group there is no stability and sustainable governance.
– Are there people with different opinions left in GERB?
– Almost not. This is the result of Borisov's inability to grow as a political leader. Leadership means listening to different opinions, not just those of conformists. The erosion after 2021 is serious. If GERB falls below 450 thousand votes, it will not have the parliamentary weight it had in the National Assembly and this process will continue to deepen.
– Is there an influence of DPS – New Beginnings in GERB?
– Definitely. The lack of real organizational life in GERB and the rise of people who have no connection with the party's roots, but are rather conformists, created conditions for external influence. This allowed representatives of DPS – New Beginnings to influence some of the local structures. In my opinion, in a risky situation, some GERB MPs would prefer to vote for Delyan Peevski rather than Borisov.
– How many parties do you expect to enter the parliament?
– I expect fewer parties compared to the previous parliament. This would be a healing process. If there are fewer formations, there will be less hooliganism and more meaningful political clashes on sectoral policies, with less populism. I think Radev would bet on people with a professional profile who would work for normality in the Bulgarian parliament.
– We see that Justice Minister Andrey Yankulov has raised the topic of the status of the acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov. What do you expect...
– Andrey Yankulov should be supported. He is a person who came out of the prosecutor's office and knows the problems in the judicial system well. When you oppose an established model, you will inevitably be attacked. I say this from personal experience – I was among the first political victims of this model in 2013. After the elections, a qualified majority will be needed to elect the parliamentary quota in the Supreme Judicial Council. The SJC must conduct a transparent election of a new Prosecutor General, who will guarantee objectivity in investigations and an end to practices such as the “Eight Dwarfs“ and the “Notary“ case.
– “Republicans for Bulgaria“ will you participate in the elections?
– There is no final decision yet. Participation in sync with other formations is possible. I do not rule out the option of calling on our supporters to support parties that can actually form a parliamentary majority for reforms, so that the votes are not wasted.