March 2010 April 2010 May 2010 June 2010 July 2010
August 2010
September 2010 October 2010
November 2010
December 2010 January 2011 February 2011 March 2011 April 2011 May 2011 June 2011 July 2011 August 2011 September 2011 October 2011 November 2011 December 2011 January 2012 February 2012 March 2012 April 2012 May 2012 June 2012 July 2012 August 2012 September 2012 October 2012 November 2012 December 2012 January 2013 February 2013 March 2013 April 2013 May 2013 June 2013 July 2013 August 2013 September 2013 October 2013 November 2013 December 2013 January 2014 February 2014 March 2014 April 2014 May 2014 June 2014 July 2014 August 2014 September 2014 October 2014 November 2014 December 2014 January 2015 February 2015 March 2015 April 2015 May 2015 June 2015 July 2015 August 2015 September 2015 October 2015 November 2015 December 2015 January 2016 February 2016 March 2016 April 2016 May 2016 June 2016 July 2016 August 2016 September 2016 October 2016 November 2016 December 2016 January 2017 February 2017 March 2017 April 2017 May 2017 June 2017 July 2017 August 2017 September 2017 October 2017 November 2017 December 2017 January 2018 February 2018 March 2018 April 2018 May 2018 June 2018 July 2018 August 2018 September 2018 October 2018 November 2018 December 2018 January 2019 February 2019 March 2019 April 2019 May 2019 June 2019 July 2019 August 2019 September 2019 October 2019 November 2019 December 2019 January 2020 February 2020 March 2020 April 2020 May 2020 June 2020 July 2020 August 2020 September 2020 October 2020 November 2020 December 2020 January 2021 February 2021 March 2021 April 2021 May 2021 June 2021 July 2021 August 2021 September 2021 October 2021 November 2021 December 2021 January 2022 February 2022 March 2022 April 2022 May 2022 June 2022 July 2022 August 2022 September 2022 October 2022 November 2022 December 2022 January 2023 February 2023 March 2023 April 2023 May 2023 June 2023 July 2023 August 2023 September 2023 October 2023 November 2023 December 2023 January 2024 February 2024 March 2024 April 2024 May 2024 June 2024 July 2024 August 2024 September 2024 October 2024
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
31
News Every Day |

Bulgaria: Will Borisov Be Able To Form A Government? – Analysis

By Ivan Bedrov

(RFE/RL) -- Bulgaria is back in very familiar territory. The October 27 parliamentary elections gave former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov's center-right GERB party the most votes, but not enough to form a government on its own.

Borisov will certainly try. But despite winning five out of seven parliamentary elections since 2021, GERB has failed to form a coalition.

Will Borisov Be Able To Form A Government?

To form a governing coalition, Borisov -- Bulgaria's most notable and powerful politician, who has been prime minister three times since 2009 -- needs the support of at least half the deputies in the National Assembly, the country's 240-seat unicameral parliament.

Looking at the breakdown of votes in the increasingly fragmented parliament, three or four parties will be needed to form a majority.

So far, Borisov has only ruled out working with the far-right, pro-Kremlin Revival party, which came in third with 13 percent of the vote.

Speaking on election night, Borisov said: "We will govern with anyone who supports our program."

Enter Delyan Peevski...

Much of it comes down to one man: Delyan Peevski, a controversial media tycoon with incredible sway over public opinion. He has been accused of corruption and influence peddling and sanctioned by the United States and Britain for corruption.

And most Bulgarian politicians would probably agree that Peevski is the person most responsible for Bulgaria's ongoing political crisis.

In a move that would likely end the political impasse, Borisov has said he would work with the second-place pro-Western reformist We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB) coalition, which polled 14 percent. However, PP-DB has insisted that it will only work with GERB if Peevski has no influence on the future administration.

Borisov has been repeatedly accused of having close ties to Peevski, who for many Bulgarians is emblematic of the country's corruption and organized crime.

It's also unlikely that Borisov will be able to scrape together enough seats from the smaller parties in parliament, many of whom also refuse to be in bed with Peevski.

So, essentially, it comes down to Borisov having to choose between the PP-DB or Peevski. After the last elections in June, GERB and Peevski's previous party could have formed a government with the support of a few independent lawmakers, but Borisov refused to make a deal.

Why Can't Borisov Cut Ties With Peevski?

This is the $1 million question in Bulgaria, and no one really knows the answer.

PP-DB has said that Peevski de facto owns GERB through mutual business concerns.

Plus, Peevski is widely thought to control Bulgaria's powerful Prosecutor-General's Office, which oversees both criminal investigations and prosecutorial decisions.

In the past, investigations against Borisov have been closed and the former prime minister has received immunity from prosecution.

What Are The Consequences Of This Continuing Impasse?

Bulgaria is stagnating. Money from the European Union has almost dried up, and it will stay that way until the country carries out EU-mandated reforms and anti-corruption measures. Not to mention that without a functioning administration, the EU doesn't really have anyone to work with.

Efforts to push reforms and anti-corruption measures, notably by PP-DB, have continually hit a brick wall.

With the country in limbo, progress has stalled on Bulgaria adopting the euro and fully joining the EU's borderless Schengen zone.

Are Bulgarians Losing Their Faith In The Democratic Process?

While public faith in the electoral process is certainly not high, partial results have shown that the turnout for these elections might be slightly higher than the 34 percent of voters who voted in June.

There were fears before the vote that widespread disillusionment with mainstream parties could result in the rise of smaller extreme parties such as Revival. However, the latest elections don't show any clear evidence of that.

While fringe parties have increased their vote share, so, too, have the major parties.

Could This Election Affect Bulgaria's International Course?

While there are four pro-Russia parties in parliament, they have a smaller number of deputies than the pro-Western parties.

Moreover, the fact that the pro-Western GERB and PP-DB parties came first and second is an indication that support for Bulgaria's EU and NATO membership remains strong.

And while PP-DB's support and vote-share isn't huge, the party's constant pressure for reform is a defining feature of Bulgaria's political landscape.

  • Ivan Bedrov is the director of RFE/RL's Bulgarian Service.
Симферополь

ЖК “Республика” - территория доступного комфорта

Inside the dark world of randy sex pest dolphins who terrorise swimmers & try to ROMP with humans

You need the eyes of a movie hero to spot the 5 horror villains lurking near the crime scene in under 90 secs

Bay Area high school football: Weekend scoreboard, how Top 25 fared

Lindsay Hubbard's Baby Shower Details Revealed, Including Which 'Summer House' Co-Stars Attend

Ria.city






Read also

How to Watch Sofia Kenin vs. Jessika Ponchet at the 2024 WTA Hong Kong, Hong Kong Women Singles 2024: Live Stream, TV Channel

David Avanesyan Has Now Compared The Power Of Terence Crawford And Jaron Ennis After Facing Both

James Maddison reveals proud moment despite Spurs defeat to Crystal Palace

News, articles, comments, with a minute-by-minute update, now on Today24.pro

News Every Day

Inside the dark world of randy sex pest dolphins who terrorise swimmers & try to ROMP with humans

Today24.pro — latest news 24/7. You can add your news instantly now — here


News Every Day

Bay Area high school football: Weekend scoreboard, how Top 25 fared



Sports today


Новости тенниса
WTA

Елена Рыбакина узнала плохие новости от WTA



Спорт в России и мире
Москва

На Кубке России по фитнес-аэробике в Москве выступят лучшие команды страны



All sports news today





Sports in Russia today

Москва

Пловец Гончаров получил нейтральный статус от World Aquatics


Новости России

Game News

The next Helldivers 2 Warbond is going full baddies mode with armor and weaponry from the Ministry of Truth


Russian.city


Game News

The next Helldivers 2 Warbond is going full baddies mode with armor and weaponry from the Ministry of Truth


Губернаторы России
Росгвардия

В преддверии профессионального праздника начальник Управления вневедомственной охраны Чувашии стал гостем программы «В эфире Росгвардия»


Карта, деньги, два ребенка: как мошенники наживаются на желании стать матерью

В Мытищах состоялась отчетно-выборная конференция профсоюза жизнеобеспечения

Спасибо за улыбку! Благодаря читателям «АиФ», голова Ранеля стала идеальной

Охочие до тыквы: самые популярные у россиян блюда с этим сезонным овощем


Органистка Мария Макаренко выступит с концертом «Бах и органные миры» для псковичей

Певица Нюша снялась в микрошортах в Дубае

Пресс-секретарь Шнурова: Зоя также останется в группе, она никуда не денется

Плюс-сайз певица Lizzo снялась в костюме препарата для лечения диабета «Оземпик»


Борис Беккер назвал теннисиста с одной из лучших подач в нынешнем ATP-туре

Россиянка Шнайдер с победы стартовала на турнире WTA в Гонконге

Елена Рыбакина вылетела на Итоговый турнир WTA

Елена Рыбакина узнала плохие новости от WTA



Органические удобрения от компании «БиоЭкоПро»

День рождения музея «АТОМ» при поддержке Детского радио

Слушатель «Авторадио» едет в Абу-Даби на «Формулу-1»

В Мытищах состоялась отчетно-выборная конференция профсоюза жизнеобеспечения


Чумовой гол «Краснодара» с 30 метров в стиле Златана! Круче в РПЛ в 2024-м не забивали!

Собянин рассказал о редевелопменте бывших промзон Воронцово и «Силикатные улицы»

Орловчанки завоевали золото в женских соревнованиях по боксу в Санкт-Петербурге

This new FPS is so good, it's almost unfair that it's free: A '1v1 me bro' simulator with 70 maps and no microtransactions that feels like the sickest Counter-Strike: Source mod of 2007


Томич получил 3 года колонии за попытку взломать банкомат болгаркой

Хакасские дзюдоисты привезли награды со всероссийских соревнований

В Подмосковье прошло заседание Клуба онкологов

Актёра Руденко приговорили к 60 часам обязательных работ по обвинению в незаконном хранении наркотиков



Путин в России и мире






Персональные новости Russian.city
Юрий Башмет

Шесть москвичей выселили из квартиры после иска дирижера Башмета



News Every Day

Bay Area high school football: Weekend scoreboard, how Top 25 fared




Friends of Today24

Музыкальные новости

Персональные новости