The parliamentary elections in Bulgaria did not bring any big surprises. But the ranking of the right-wing radical and Russophile party “Revival“ should be a warning signal", wrote in a comment after the elections in Bulgaria, the spokesman for European affairs of the faction of the liberals in the Bundestag, Thomas Hacker, who is the rapporteur on the issues related to Bulgaria. He also says that for three years now there has been the impression that Bulgaria has become ungovernable, and that personal interests make it impossible to create a reliable government. “This game with democracy is extremely dangerous, irresponsible and strengthens anti-democratic movements. Therefore, political leaders should make efforts and work to find a compromise. So that the image of Bulgaria in front of its neighbors and the EU does not suffer even more, notes Thomas Hacker.
In a comment for “Süddeutsche Zeitung“ Kathryn Calvait writes that no one seriously expected that in the seventh election from 2021, the balance of power between the parties would change so strongly that a stable, pro-European and consensual party would finally be formed in the poorest EU country. government. The situation, which has been going on for quite some time now, is unnerving voters and weakening democracy. The author points out that Bulgaria is considered a “problem case” ever since its admission to the EU in 2007. And although in 2023 the EC came out with the assessment that the country has “fulfilled its commitments regarding the rule of law”, instability is still a cause for concern.
It is no wonder that the Bulgarians themselves consider their country irredeemably corrupt, and trust in democratic institutions is extremely low, notes the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”. It is not surprising that extremist, nationalist and pro-Russian parties are successful. In the Kremlin, they must be rubbing their hands, writes Catherine Kalvait – because what has already happened in other EU countries is being repeated in Bulgaria: Moscow misinforms, divides – and benefits from it.
„Berliner Zeitung“ published a report from Sofia under the title “There are more elections here than trams“ and asks the question – why is it impossible to form a stable government. The German edition states that only 10% of Bulgarians trust the electoral system, which is the lowest indicator in the world. According to the Gallup survey, the same indicator is even higher in countries such as Lebanon, Nigeria and Mongolia. In the poll conducted with residents of the capital, people's frustration with the political instability was gathered in statements such as: “I am not voting because it will not lead anywhere” or “Most parties are connected to the mafia”. The line “There are more elections in Sofia than trams”, is actually by the theater director Nikolay Gunderov, according to whom, however, this is not funny at all. He emphasizes that the voice of the Bulgarians must be heard, as well as – that democracy in the country is in great danger.
„Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung“ (FAC) includes an analysis by Michael Martens under the title “The sour apples of Bulgaria”. Regarding the possibilities of a coalition between GERB and PP-DB, he notes: “Much will depend on whether the PP-DB, ranked second, will realize that if the country wants to avoid the pro-Russian populist course, there is no way around Borisov in Bulgarian politics in the foreseeable future. Essentially, it's about whether “We continue the change” will agree to bite the sour apple called Borisov, or will succumb to the temptation of the next parliamentary elections, writes Martens. “If the guys from Harvard continue to hold on to their increasingly unrealistic demand to be in government, but without Borissov as prime minister, there is a threat of new elections.“
FAC clarifies that even if PP/DB and GERB come to an agreement, there will be a need for a third partner for a coalition, and the choice is modest. Michael Martens admits that the BSP could probably help to form a majority.
The Austrian “Der Standard“ notes that the presidential elections in the USA on November 5 will also be decisive for Bulgaria. Because if Donald Trump wins, for the clientelistic party GERB there will be no reason to limit itself to only pro-Western forces when choosing a coalition partner. And the US-sanctioned party of Delyan Peevski will no longer be ruled out as a possibility for joint governance. The Austrian publication described Peevski's hope that under a right-wing populist Trump administration he could be removed from the sanctions list – in such a case, the GERB leader Borisov, accused of corruption, could once again do business and politics with him. If Trump wins – continues her predictions Adelheid Wölfl in “Der Standard“ - Borisov could also think about cooperation with “Vazrazhdane” or with the socialists. Because under the administration of Trump, the pressure from Washington to strictly maintain Bulgaria's pro-Western policy will drop. In this case, Bulgaria will become the third EU country, after Hungary and Slovakia, which orients itself towards Moscow.