"Bulgaria is in a deep crisis . The country is ungovernable. The party system is fragmented, the elites are at odds with each other, and the institutions are paralyzed." What else are two German-language media writing before the elections on October 27.
Bulgarians are tired and less and less tempted to go to the polls, writes the German “Frankfurter Rundschau”. The publication recalls that in the last parliamentary elections in June, voter turnout decreased to the historically low level of 34 percent, and on Sunday – when the seventh consecutive election in three years will take place, it may fall below one-third.
„Frankfurter Rundschau“ quotes “Diary“ with predictions that if a compromise cabinet is not formed, the eighth early elections can be expected as early as next year, which would make Bulgaria a world record holder. And the election campaign is “so quiet and unnoticeable that one can wonder if it is even underway”, reads the findings of “Now”, also quoted by the German edition.
It points out that those willing to vote are becoming fewer and fewer, and those who do often choose populist, nationalist and pro-Russian parties. It is also indicated that the poorest member state of the EU splashed out to 250 million euros for the last six elections, and another 50 million will be added to them on Sunday. At the same time, clear majorities are again not emerging, regardless of whether seven or more parties will enter the parliament.
Vote buying is booming
A painful coalition poker is looming, and there are no guarantees for the formation of a government, writes Thomas Roser in “Frankfurter Rundschau”. The publication notes that the parliamentary parties, which are unable to form a majority, are strengthening the positions of Russophile President Rumen Radev, whose caretaker governments rule between elections and Bulgaria is increasingly turning from a parliamentary to a presidential democracy.
The German publication also cites sociological data, according to which only 10 percent of Bulgarians now trust the parliament – the lowest value in the EU. But there are also Bulgarians who could “imagine“ to sell their vote.
The booming vote market, which is said to sometimes fetch up to €150 per vote, can also be explained by the low voter turnout that can get even parties with less than 100,000 into parliament the voice. “Politicians know that most voters do not trust them. Therefore, they do not see any point in investing their finances and resources in campaigns, but prefer to invest in tricks that will bring them certain votes”, the newspaper “Sega” is quoted as saying.
Bulgaria is losing the battle with poverty and migration
„Only the youth can save Bulgaria” - under this title, the Austrian “Di Presse“ posted a report from Ruse, explaining that due to the government crisis, Bulgaria is losing the battle with poverty and migration, and European funds remain unutilized. And this edition comes out with the prediction that the nationalist parties could increase their votes in Sunday's elections.
The correspondent of “Di Presse“ Juta Sommerbauer makes a comparison between Romania and Bulgaria and notes that if in Romania the rise is visible to the naked eye, on the other side of the Danube time seems to have stopped. She cites the Bulgarian Pavel, who regularly travels to Bucharest. According to him, Bulgaria has eight to ten years to catch up compared to Romania. “Things are developing in Romania. Not with us”, summarizes Pavel. The Austrian edition writes that Bulgaria is threatened by a downward spiral of poverty, migration and aging.
The author makes a grave diagnosis: “The country is in a deep crisis. Bulgaria is ungovernable. The party system is fragmented, elites are at odds with each other, and institutions are paralyzed. Important decisions are postponed; even the millions of EU financial funds, which are so important for further development, cannot be used. Joining the Eurozone, planned for 2025, is in jeopardy. The victims are the citizens who turn their backs on politics or hope for radical political solutions.“
More and more parties from the nationalist sector
„Di Presse“ points out that this Sunday Bulgaria will again look for a way out of the crisis – in the seventh parliamentary elections for the last years, in which the picture from the previous ones will most likely be repeated.
Bulgarians are also used to the fact that new parties with new promises appear in every next election, lately mainly in the nationalist spectrum. This can be read as a reaction of the country, which is traditionally friendly to Russia, as well as to the geopolitical shifts and migration to Europe passing through the Balkans, commented “Di Presse”.
„Only the young can save us”, a resident of Ruse, who also criticized Bulgarian politicians, expressed a desire for the young to return and found a new party, told the Austrian publication.
The return of the young is not realistic
Unfortunately, however, the return of young people is not realistic, says “Di Presse”. Bulgaria has been affected by migration for years, and statisticians predict a further decrease in the population – from 6.4 million now, by 2035 only 5.8 million inhabitants will remain in the country. Whole areas are threatened with depopulation, but this is hardly discussed in the election campaign, the Austrian publication points out.