PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS IN BULGARIA. «DEJA VU»?

Abstract

This article analyzes the background and results of the fourth elections held within 18 months to elect members of the National Assembly (02.10.2022). As predicted, the coalition government formed on the third attempt and led by Kiril Petkov, a leader of the new movement «We Continue the Change» did not last long. It fell victim to a no-confidence vote initiated by its main opponent, the GERB party of ex-premier Boyko Borisov. The latter gained unexpected support from Slavi Trifonov’s «There is such a people» movement, a member of the previous multi-party cabinet. This election, despite some changes in the party structure of the National Assembly, actually testified to the deep disappointment of the disillusioned Bulgarian voters in the entire political spectre. At the same time, they replicated the stalemate in the Parliament. Under such conditions, the formation of a new coalition cabinet is extremely unlikely and one should expect «déjà vu»: another caretaker government appointed and next elections announced by the president. The general conclusion to be drawn from the present developments is that the political system with parties being called upon as the main subjects of the parliamentary model and diligently exercising in discrediting parliamentarism instead is deeply sick. There is seemingly no way out of the protracted political crisis!