FLASH
Shkruar nga Marco Zacchera
Rumen Radev's plebiscite victory heralds a new era of Euroscepticism in the Balkans, openly challenging the European Union's line on the war in Ukraine. Amid rising living costs and fatigue from corruption, Bulgaria chooses the strong hand of a former general who looks to Moscow.
There is no peace for Ursula von der Leyen. With the celebrations over Viktor Orbán's defeat in the Hungarian parliamentary elections still fresh, and it remains to be seen whether new leader Péter Magyar will truly show that he is different from his predecessor, another strong blow comes from Sofia.
The former president of the republic, Rumen Radev, triumphed in the next snap election on Sunday with a result that exceeded all poll predictions. Radev, a figure known for his pro-Russian and Eurosceptic stances, secured over 45 percent of the vote.
Thanks to the Bulgarian electoral system and the 4 percent threshold that excluded several small parties from parliament, this translated into 129 seats out of a total of 240. With this absolute victory, Bulgaria is expected to finally emerge from the long period of political deadlock that has characterized it in recent years, where as many as 5 consecutive election rounds had always produced highly fragmented parliaments, making it practically impossible to create a stable majority and forcing very broad and heterogeneous coalitions.
This time it is expected to be different, also because on some key issues, such as relations with Brussels, Radev's deputies may be joined by those from the extreme right-wing nationalist "Vazrajdane" (Renaissance), which has won around 10 seats.
The big loser in this race is the outgoing government coalition, which had brought Bulgaria into the eurozone since January of this year: the liberal PP-DB coalition stood at 14.6 percent.
Meanwhile, the allied party of outgoing leader Boyko Borisov, GERB, did not go beyond 12.5 percent, losing about half of its votes compared to the previous elections.
The main news is the fall of the GERB conservatives, who had dominated Bulgarian politics for more than a decade and who have been accused of leading the country to high levels of corruption.
The accusations have particularly affected Borisov, who has been at the center of suspicions of mafia and underworld connections for years. Another major historical development is that for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union and Bulgaria's opening to democracy, the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), which represented the continuation of the former communist party, will no longer have parliamentary representation, after failing to pass the 4 percent threshold.
However, this vote also highlighted the fragility of the Bulgarian situation, characterized by economic stagnation and deep social dissatisfaction due to the rapid increase in the cost of living, especially after the introduction of the euro at the beginning of the year.
Recent months have also been accompanied by strong protests against corruption. And feeling the gravity of the situation, Radev suddenly decided to enter the race, even though he was still president and nearing the end of his second term.
Unexpectedly resigning 3 months ago, he built his campaign precisely on the fight against corruption and on policies to curb prices, responding to the expectations of the protesters.
A former military pilot and air force general, Radev was very clear in his first statements after the election. He reiterated his criticism of Europe and his opposition to further aid to Ukraine.
He also stated that Europe would be much more pragmatic if the European Union resumed dialogue with Moscow, describing the result as a victory of morality and hope over mistrust.
His positions have attracted great international attention, as during his presidency he has consistently opposed sending military aid to Ukraine and criticized EU policies on the war, expressing fears that excessive support could involve Bulgaria in the conflict.
His campaign has not been without controversy. During an election rally, the opposition attacked him over a video showing him meeting with Vladimir Putin, while his recent statement that “Crimea is Russian” remains a controversial stance that increases concerns in Brussels that Bulgaria could replace Hungary in the leadership of the Eurosceptic countries./ Adapted from “Il Sussidiario”
Europa kurre nuk di i kishte pranuar sllavet e satelitet e Rusit por e keqja ishte so do futeshin nen ambrellen e tyre do shkonin punet mbrapsht. Mirepo edhe keshtu me keq po shkojne sepse ruset kane mbjelle faren e keqe dhe keta qente e lindjes jane ulur kembekryq neper zyra qe te recepsionistet e deri neper banka, ministri e ne krye te kompanive serioze, hotele, aeroporte e porte. Kane hyre shume sllave e sorrollope qe presin diten e sulmit. Ruset e kane pushtuar Europen me ta e nuk kane nevoje te pushtojne se e kane pushtuar. Nuk flitet me per versionin me te keq qe vetem me sabotime i nxjerrin themelin Europes. Mbajini larg sllavet nga Shqiperia se i keni bere me troje e prona e do ua degjoni kengen e kazacokun.