It’s time for action: what is the President of Bulgaria

There are already two outlining blocks for the presidential election. One is around GERB and he will be assisted by a « new beginning ». It is unlikely that the candidate of this block is Borisov, but this is not excluded: the GERB leader will keep his choice secret for as long as possible.

The other large block will be from Eurosceptic candidates. There we will surely see President Radev’s elect – most likely the current Vice President Yotova. It is also very possible for Kostadin Kostadinov to get involved. The purpose of this block will also be to come to a run-off on which his votes are consolidated behind the stronger of the two candidates.

Merging around a meaningful application

This state of affairs shows that the task of the democratic community is difficult and it would become impossible if it appeared with more than one candidate in the election. Therefore, the broadcasting of a common, united and strong candidate should be an important goal next year.

The time to the election seems long, but in view of the readiness of the democratic community may be insufficient. Therefore, the unification around a meaningful application should start as soon as possible. Moreover, entering an election regime is important for the democratic community, because with the support for the government Zhelyazkov, because of the euro area, it risks deleting itself against GERB and losing its sharpness. So far, this does not affect the electoral attitudes for « We continue the change – Democratic Bulgaria » (PP -DB), but there is no visible expansion of potential voters.

The DSB’s idea of ​​discussing a general application is a good start, especially if the other parties of the PP-DB coalition are included in this discussion, as well as other organizations and personalities in the center right. Before discussing the names (ultimately the most important thing), it is still appropriate to start with fundamental and meaningful questions to structure future debates:

It is necessary to expand the electoral base

1) Who enters the « democratic community »: The loud name « democratic community » needs an explanation and clarification. In general, it is clear that much of this concept is covered by representatives and by supporting PP-DB and some smaller formations in the center of the right and liberal spectrum. However, the democratic community is not exclusively party -defined, and this also gives exit to other electorates, as well as to many disappointed parties.

Pro -European and against the torn corruption in the Bulgarian policy and the judiciary – this is generally the focus of this segment;

2) Should there be a pre -election for a common candidate:

Primary or pre -election is technology. If the political parties of the democratic community cannot be agreed in another way, pre -election is an appropriate tool for resolving the dispute. These elections have advantages and disadvantages. The advantage is that the winner of the primary election will pick up electoral speed and be more recognizable, enter as the winner of the presidential election. The bad side of the preliminary vote is that the campaign can be negative and repel some of the voters and actually lose votes for the real elections.

Also, in the primary elections, they generally win more extreme candidates, while in the real elections more often they win centrists. And most of all, the early broadcast of a candidate will allow others to try to blacken him or at least set their own strategies as effectively as possible with respect to the opponent. But if the parties of the democratic community fail to agree on a common application without pre -election, whatever their disadvantages, they remain the only meaningful opportunity;

What is the future candidate and how to choose

3) Open or closed pre -election: If a pre-election decision is reached, it is more meaningful that they are open to all voters and not internal party. This is because, in principle, party members are very small in Bulgaria and this would make the election an exercise for the party asset. It is true that opening the election can lead to their manipulation by the villains.

4) A more liberal or more conservative candidate: This is a nice question that can be resolved in the framework of pre -election. In general, there is no clear and unambiguous answer. Liberal Nikushor Dan won quite convincingly (though unexpectedly) elections in Romania. The conservative wave created by Trump’s choice in the United States is currently unknown, as the policy of the new US administration, to put it mildly, gives rise to ambiguous reactions. In many countries, there are also anti-thrump consolidation, which led to election victories (in Canada and elsewhere). Trump’s support for « Alternative to Germany » (AFD) in Germany and for George in Romania wrinkles a lot of European foreheads.

5) Free democracy: Whatever happens, it is clear that the democratic community is the main guardian of liberal democracy in Bulgaria. This term had lost its importance during the transition, as long as it had become a huge consensus. Now, however, we need to return to the basics: folk sovereignty and freedom of people are two foundations, none of which can be sacrificed. Both must stand up.

Therefore, majority cannot prohibit freedom of expression, as they cannot close and punish universities that do not follow their ideas. Even in the United States, established institutions such as Harvard are threatened: in such a situation, the democratic community in Bulgaria has no right to split and self -marginalize, but must fight as seriously as seriously and concentrated for the restraint and preservation of free democracy in Bulgaria and in Europe;

A dividing line has already been dropped

6) The war in Ukraine: It has already become clear that Russia does not want the war to stop before its complete victory. This victory would include territorial control over a large part of Ukraine (at least four areas) plus indirect Russian control over the domestic policy of that country (by disarmament, « denacification », a change of Zelenski, etc.). It would also include NATO withdrawal from Eastern Europe or its maximum weight loss. Trump tried to stop the war under other conditions, but it is clear that he failed. So there is no longer a choice between support for Trump (supposedly « stopping war ») and support for Ukraine and the EU.

In fact, it becomes very clear that there are only two positions: support for a Russian victory in Ukraine or support to defend an independent Ukraine with a possible membership of this country in the EU, with military guarantees for its existence. It is clear where the United States, Europe and Ukraine are on this. It is clear where Bulgaria and the Bulgarian Democratic Community stand. So Ukraine should not be any dividing line in the broadcasting of a single community candidate;

7) European integration: The democratic community has been and must remain the engine of European integration. With the entry of Bulgaria into the euro area, things are not over. The EU itself should become a far narrower union of sovereign states, especially in the field of defense, which could not happen without progress in fiscal integration. Pre -election may become a platform for clarifying the positions of candidates for such issues;

Other strategic goals

8) Aims beyond euro area membership:

The creation of technology champions in the Bulgarian economy, the reduction of inequalities between the capital and the country, the attraction of specialists and the workforce to deal with the demographic crisis, the remaining and return of Bulgarian young people to Bulgaria, etc. are obvious goals that the democratic community can and should prioritize. And a preliminary campaign can also create a wide public support for these and similar goals;

9) Nesting or Orthodoxy: On this otherwise important issue, it is not necessary to borrow a party during the pre -election, but it can be used to cheer the situation. After all, there is room for a sense of humor in politics. As long as nesting or religion is not reached to become a compulsory subject in the curriculum.

The broadcasting of a common candidate for the upcoming presidential election is a good way to have a good political condition. And be ready for any election.