In Bulgarian political history, protests and resignations often go hand in hand with governance crises. In 1996-1997, the BSP ruled alone with a full majority in parliament, but it crashed, which led to the resignation of Videnov's government and the return of the mandate by Nikolay Dobrev. Memories of that time are painful - two days of sleepless euphoria, chaotic discussions and ultimately at the BSP congress, Dobrev demanded the resignation of the government, taking responsibility for the crisis. He announced this to Lili Marinkova in the studio “FACTI“ and the show “Conversation“ journalist Valeri Naydenov.
„After that, history repeats itself in different forms. In 2013, initially, protests were held against GERB and Boyko Borisov, the reason for the dissatisfaction was the budget submitted by Finance Minister Simeon Dyankov and the “lean pizza“. Half a year later, the protests turned against Delyan Peevski – as head of SANS, although the effect at that time was in favor of GERB“, the guest added.
„In 2020, we again have large protests against Borisov and Peevski – with demands for resignations, a change of government and early elections. In recent years, protests against Borisov, Peevski and the budget have continued cyclically – new dissatisfaction, new demands, new resignations. The situation is almost like spinning a horse in an empty manger – "formally, the dissatisfaction is reacted to, but the structure of the system remains the same, and power is largely restored after a short period," the journalist also shared.
“However, a new paradoxical trend is also coming. Sociological surveys show that among those most affected today is surprisingly "Vazrazhdane" - a formation that, by its own conviction, protests against the euro. MarketLinks surveys show that the protesters are largely not interested in structural changes in the system - there are no demands for a change in the form of government or the method of decision-making. The protests are led from the position of "stand up and sit down" - insisting that something specific be adopted, and if it does not happen, pressure is continued. There are protests, but there is no vision for change in the country, such as majoritarian elections, for example“, said Valeri Naydenov.
“This creates a sense of cyclicity: resignations are submitted, new elections are held, but the same individuals and groups return to the political scene, ready for the next round. Political dynamics show that without structural changes or a new vision for governance, protests remain more of a recurring mechanism of public pressure than a tool for real reform“, added the guest.
See more of the conversation in the VIDEO.