As of: March 28, 2024, 8:47 p.m
By: Sonja Ruf
Comments
Press
Split
In Bulgaria, the ruling coalition collapsed again after five attempts. New elections are now to be held on the same day as the 2024 European elections.
Sofia - In Bulgaria, another government is falling apart, after it took five consecutive parliamentary elections to form the cabinet last year. Bulgarians have even invented their own word for the governing coalition: “Nekoalizijata”, which means something like “un-coalition” or “non-coalition”.
At the heart of the renewed break in the coalition after nine months are the domestic political conflicts between its two constituent parties. Specifically, according to the news platform
The Sofia Globe,
it was now
about a previously agreed personnel change. After the election, Nikolai Denkov was to be head of government for nine months and former EU Commissioner Marija Gabriel was to be foreign minister.
The reason for the government collapse in Bulgaria: a dispute over a change in personnel
It should be changed after nine months. Only, the change went wrong. Shortly before, a party rejected the cabinet list submitted by its coalition partner without being able to form a government itself, which ultimately resulted in a political stalemate.
According to the Tagesschau,
the chairman of one of the two ex-coalitionists, Boyko Borissov, had
already commented darkly on the current political developments in his country in mid-March and had not ruled out new elections. Specifically, he said at the time that he saw “no solution” to the rotation cycle and that he never again wanted to get involved in “a dance like that with these people,” presumably speaking in the direction of his former coalition partners.
Boyko Borissov, former prime minister and leader of the “Gerb” party at the penultimate election in Bulgaria in October 2022 in Sofia. © Imago/NurPhoto
When it comes to foreign policy, both disputers pursue almost the same pro-Western line
The two protagonists in the coalition that was ultimately abolished are the “Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria” (Gerb) and “We are continuing the change” party. The “Gerb” is led by Boyko Borissov. It stands for a pro-European course. “We are continuing the change” is led by Kyrill Petkow and Assen Wassilew and is pursuing a similar foreign policy direction as their ex-coalition partner.
The last elections in the Eastern Balkan state took place in April, July and November 2021, October 2022 and April 2023. The next election date is scheduled for June 9th. The 2024 European elections will also take place on the same day. In current surveys, for example from the
Alpha Research Institute,
the “Gerb” party is (still) a few percentage points ahead of its former coalition partner.
The country is facing major political goals and challenges: aid to Ukraine, joining the eurozone
In the European context, it is also important who governs Bulgaria in the future, because the smaller country makes a not insignificant contribution to military support for Ukraine. There are several smaller pro-Russian parties in Bulgaria that could take advantage of the current and possibly future political vacuum.
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In addition, Bulgaria has long been pursuing the goal of joining the Eurozone in 2025. Although the country, which has around 7 million inhabitants, is in a relatively good financial position, the lack of political consistency could, according to the
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung,
give Bulgaria's European allies a confused impression.
Deutsche Welle in Bulgaria: “What has been achieved is now in danger of being reversed.”
The Bulgarian service of the German broadcaster
Deutsche Welle
regrets that it does not want to see everything as black. A commentary published a few days ago said: “Few will now remember that this government has achieved much in just nine months”.
According to
Deutsche Welle
in Bulgaria, the former government carried out constitutional reforms, ended energy dependence on Russia and brought the country to the threshold of Schengen and the Eurozone. The commentators conclude with a regretful warning: “But instead of building on this, what has been achieved is now in danger of being turned into the opposite.”