Bulgaria is at a “very dangerous crossroads,” while aggressive political rhetoric and the deepening of divisions are undermining society’s ability to make joint decisions. This was stated by communications expert Vesislava Tancheva on the “Mrezhata” program on the “Hristo Botev” channel of the Bulgarian National Radio. The conversation focused on political communication following the conclusion of the election campaign and on relations between politicians and society.
The Budget and the Role of Parliament
Tancheva described Prime Minister Rumen Radev’s presentation of the state budget in the assembly hall of the University of National and World Economy, rather than in the National Assembly, as a PR stunt and “to some extent” crisis PR. In her view, the choice of venue sends an institutional message that the legislative body is once again being bypassed.
She also criticized the way the financial framework was presented, describing it as compromising. In her words, the attitude toward Parliament is not new to Bulgarian politics, but the “Progressive Bulgaria” formation is developing this model at high speed.
Aggressive Rhetoric and the Next Campaign
According to Tancheva, the language used by those in power has already gone beyond the usual level of political sharpness. She said that public discourse shows the adoption of foreign insinuations and rhetorical devices, including in the characterization of political opponents.
The communications expert believes that maintaining this tone after the elections shows that political campaign teams are already preparing for the next campaign. In her words, local elections are particularly important because the foundation for long-term governance is built through local structures, municipal councils and local influence.
Clientelism and the Transfer of Influence
Asked about GERB’s behavior and about local structures that are beginning to align themselves with the new government, Tancheva replied that this is linked to the clientelist model in Bulgarian politics.
She said that GERB has not proven that it is a systemic party in the classic sense. According to Tancheva, this requires sustainable local structures, elections won and lost, survival after defeats and a change in leadership without the party falling apart.
In her words, clientelist thinking moves large groups of people and local dependencies from one victorious formation to the next. Within this logic, businesses dependent on public procurement and local officials seek to preserve their ties with every successive government in Sofia.
Division as a Threat
Tancheva described the artificial deepening of divisions as the most dangerous effect of aggressive rhetoric. In her view, people are withdrawing into small friendship-based, family and political groups, which reduces their ability to discuss a shared future.
She also linked this process to external hybrid influence operations aimed at weakening the European Union. Russia was mentioned in the conversation, as were, during certain periods, political positions that Tancheva associates with Donald Trump, Iran, China and North Korea.
“We are very close to a major problem, frankly speaking,” Tancheva said. She warned that the greatest danger lies in retreating from democratic achievements and allowing hatred and foreign influence to destroy the country’s legal and institutional foundations.
Sources: bnrnews.bg