The rulers must learn from the results of the first round of the presidential elections and listen to the message of the voters. This was stated by the former prime minister and member of the Initiative Committee of Iliana Yotova and Kiril Valchev Sergey Stanishev in the program “From the Day“ on BNT. The first round was held on October 25, and the candidate pairs of Iliana Yotova and Andrey Gyurov reached the runoff.
Stanishev pointed to “Progressive Bulgaria“ as the political formation that should draw conclusions from the vote. According to him, the BSP contributed to Yotova's result despite its limited capabilities. He warned that trust in the government has weakened after the series of elections and after the broad support given to Rumen Radev.
„They expect actions, they expect results“, Stanishev said.Criticism of the campaign and the lack of debate
The former Prime Minister described the campaign as too formal. According to him, the lack of a real political debate harmed Iliana Yotova, while the opponents of the government were better able to mobilize their supporters. Some of the voters who support the government were demobilized, he believes.
Andrei Gyurov has repeatedly stated his readiness for an open debate with Yotova. A debate between the candidates who reached the second round is scheduled for October 29 on BNT. The television has specified that the topics and duration will be determined additionally.
Position on the war in Ukraine
Stanishev supported the search for a political solution to the war in Ukraine and rejected claims that Iliana Yotova is hesitant on the topic.
„I do not think that Mr. Gyurov is a candidate for war“, said the former prime minister.He also commented on the European Parliament resolution on security in the Black Sea. According to Stanishev, the document contains both positive proposals and controversial texts, and the Bulgarian government's reaction was excessive.
According to him, Iliana Yotova's political experience could prove to be an important advantage in the runoff. He expects the upcoming debate to give the two candidates the opportunity to present their real political positions more clearly.
Sources: novini.bg, bta.bg