The drone attack on two commercial ships in the Bulgarian exclusive economic zone of the Black Sea could change public attitudes before the presidential elections. This was commented by sociologist Evelina Slavkova from “Trend“ against the backdrop of the pre-election clash that has begun.
In the Euronews Bulgaria studio, Slavkova emphasized that there are currently many unknowns, and the public expects quick and categorical answers. “It is very important to have a quick and adequate reaction, as well as full information about what is happening“, she commented.
According to her, the origin of the drones and whether they are Russian or Ukrainian could affect pre-election attitudes in different ways. However, she refused to make assumptions and stressed that the competent institutions must establish the facts.
The incident may reinforce the feeling that the war in Ukraine is approaching Bulgaria. “This thing that the war will be getting closer to us somehow seemed very distant to us. In fact, we are seeing such cases more and more often“, she said.
In the attack, one ship sank, and its crew remained unknown. Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced that the strikes were carried out with a sea and air drone. Who is behind the attack has not yet been established with a final official conclusion.
The case has shifted the topic of security to the center of the presidential campaign. President Iliana Yotova convened a meeting of the National Security Advisory Council, as political forces began to demand answers about the origin of the drones and the state's response.
Security enters the pre-election clash
According to Yanitsa Petkova from “Myara“, the attack could give “a new impetus to the public debate and the debate during the campaign“, because security is a key topic for the two political forces competing for the presidency.
Assoc. Prof. Milen Lyubenov expects the incident to intensify the opposition between the camps of the main candidates, but does not believe that it will in itself overturn attitudes. “It is more likely that there will be a consolidation of positions in both camps“, he pointed out.
This assessment places the emphasis not so much on an immediate change in preferences as on the possibility of the parties mobilizing their existing supporters. This is precisely the effect that Evelina Slavkova admits as possible before the vote.
The question remains who is behind the attack
Haralan Alexandrov said that what happened will become a leading topic, since the war already has a direct impact on security in the region. According to him, along with impoverishment, falling standards and rising prices, war and security are among the main concerns of Bulgarian society.
The political effect of the incident will also depend on the next official data on the attack. Until then, the allegations against the perpetrator remain unconfirmed, and the dispute between the candidates is expected to focus on the protection of Bulgarian interests, the reaction of the institutions and the country's role in regional security.
Sources: nova.bg, bntnews.bg, bgonair.bg, Euronews Bulgaria