8584 | 11 June 2025 | 15:53

For victory in the second round of the presidential elections, more than one and a half million votes are required, and in order to reach it - at least 500-600 thousand votes

 The parties positioned on the right side of the political spectrum - DFB, "Yes, Bulgaria" and "We Continue the Change" are categorical - they must nominate a common candidate for president in order to be able to expect success in the elections, which will take place in the fall of next year.

 And they have already started, at least in words, to work towards achieving this goal.

 "A victory for the democratic community in next year's presidential elections will change the current political status quo," emphasizes the leader of DFB, Gen. Atanas Atanasov.

 The first one to come forward was the DFB- on 31 May, the National Leadership of the party announced the holding of a round table discussion with public figures, sociologists and political scientists, together with coalition partners from "Continuing the Change" and "Yes, Bulgaria!" The aim is to start a process of nominating a single candidate from the democratic community.

 Three days later, 30 prominent lawyers, economists, political scientists, university professors and popular figures from the right-wing published an open letter - calling for the common candidate to be nominated through primaries.

 "After the success almost 30 years ago, the democratic community has not nominated its winner in a presidential election. It is time to put an end to this negative trend." A new approach is needed, not just a new candidate - with lessons learned from past mistakes, mobilization of the entire democratic potential and engagement of civil society in the process of nomination and election. This is stated in the appeal, supported by the signatures of former foreign minister in the Ivan Kostov cabinet Nadezhda Neynski, economist Evgenii Kannev, Boyko Stankushev from the Anti-Corruption Fund, PR expert Arman Babikyan, media expert Georgi Lozanov, former interim defense minister Velizar Shalamanov, lawyer Velislav Velichkov from "Justice for All", philosopher and theologian Kalin Yanakiev and others.

 "Yes, Bulgaria" also supports the initiative for a joint candidacy to be chosen in preliminary elections.

 "We believe that with the unified presidential candidacy, the Bulgarian democratic community will be able to achieve maximum consolidation and mobilization, which is vitally necessary in order to prevent Bulgaria from being diverted to the East and remaining in the hands of abductors of state institutions," said "Yes, Bulgaria".

 The movement "We continue the change" also declared their support. And academician Nikolay Denkov, who is rumored to be the preferred candidate in the party, confirmed that "We continue the change" is in favor of a wide coalition. "We will be together with DB, including DFB. We must seek all people who are for the European development of Bulgaria and against corruption. I am not closing the spectrum to the left," he said.

 All listed parties are categorical about the type of person needed – with a strong Euro-Atlantic profile.

 From the DFB they have described the task as follows:

 "Faced with the danger of a runoff between a candidate of the status quo and the pro-Russian "alternative" - we cannot afford to make a mistake. Our goal is clear: a European and democratic candidate, embodying the ideal of enlightened patriotism, who will win, restore the dignity of the presidential institution, be the expression of national unity and a guarantor of Bulgaria's European and Atlantic orientation and national security."

 The path to be taken is clear - through preliminary elections.

 This is a proven practice of the right - it was successful in "turning the table" in the political life back in 1996. Then there was a socialist government in power, led by Jean Videnov. BSP also had a comfortable majority in parliament with 125 representatives. But the election of Petar Stoyanov as head of state on November 2, 1996, changed the trend. After the "Videnov winter" and the financial crisis, the United Democratic Forces achieved a convincing victory in the early parliamentary elections in the spring of the following year and won 137 seats.

 Now, the right-wing parties are aiming to repeat the miracle. And they know that in order for their candidate to make it to the second round, they must receive at least 500-600 thousand votes in the first round.

 But who can solve this task?

 The names of potential candidates have already been mentioned. They are all popular figures on the right.

 Who are they?

 Atanas Atanasov - the leader of DFB was the initiator of the common candidacy. The general has been in the public life for a long time and his ambitions to end his long political career with a dignified post are well known. But is this enough to achieve victory in the presidential elections?! Especially considering that he stumbled in the battle for the position of prime minister in parliament.

 Vesselin Metodiev - a professor and lecturer at the New Bulgarian University. The historian is among the most popular figures on the right. He is a former deputy prime minister and minister of education in Ivan Kostov's cabinet.

 Another potential candidate from Kostov's cabinet is Nadezhda Naynski, a former foreign minister and ambassador to Turkey.

 Among the speculated names is also that of Prof. Ekaterina Mihaylova, currently a lecturer at NBU, but in the past the right hand in parliament of Kostov as prime minister. At the time, she was the chairwoman of the parliamentary group of the UDF[political party] and her fellow deputies respectfully referred to her as the "class leader".

 The names of MEP Radan Kanev and former MEP Svetoslav Malinov as well as the mayor of the capital district "Sredets" Trifcho Traikov were also circulating in the media.

 After the rally in support of the mayor Vasil Terziev during the protest of the city transport, his name also appeared among the potential right-wing presidential candidates.

 However, all of these mentioned are politicians and therefore there are voices calling for a candidate outside of these circles. And so, writer Zahari Karabashliev has been added to the list of contenders.

 However, the problems within the community calling itself democratic are not few. Most of her faces are inclined to speak as the Lord on Judgement Day - the truth from the ultimate instance. And that's not how votes are won - the voter does not welcome the edifying tone. The presidential vote is majoritarian and if a candidate, no matter how worthy, annoys the average citizen, even if they reach the second round, they risk an anti-vote on the second one. In the right-wing camp, Ivan Kostov is placed on a pedestal. His merits as a reformist prime minister, paving the way for Bulgaria's accession to the EU, are indisputable. Probably that's why his name is mentioned as a consolidating factor in the preparation for a potential unification. But those who mention him probably don't realize how hated Kostov is by the so-called ordinary Bulgarian. How can victory be won with such a "banner"?!

 The mentioned candidates are popular, everyone has heard their names, but will they vote for them? Popularity is not a guarantee for success in a political undertaking.

 The times of Peter Stoyanov were glorious, but they are long gone. Back then - in the mid-90s, there were different winds blowing. The main fear was God forbid, someone would deviate us from the dream path to Europe. And that is why those who most embodied this choice were subscribing to success. Today, it is different - Bulgaria has long been a member of the European Union, a generation is growing up that does not know any other time. And our fears are different, and our hopes, and our dreams - they are all European. And in Europe, for some time now, the main battle seems to be between the status quo and the sovereigntists, despite many national specificities.

 We saw what happened in Romania and Poland.

 In our northern neighbors, Nikushor Dan won as the saying goes - "when two fight, the third one wins". He has a pro-European profile, but he is not part of the establishment. On the contrary - throughout his political career, he has always relied on civil activism.

 In Poland, the case was different - for almost 20 years, the main conflict has been between the pro-European Civic Platform and the national-conservative Law and Justice.

 When choosing their candidate for president from the democratic community, they should take into account these two choices. Especially the Romanian variant. Because if they want to succeed, they need at least half a million votes in the first round and one and a half million in the second. Now, perhaps no one is counting on them. But it was the same with Ni Kushor Dan.

 On June 16, a round table discussion will take place at the Millennium Hotel in the capital, where politicians, public figures, political and sociological experts will discuss what the candidate should be like. The formula - when two people argue, the third one wins, is not bad. Far better than the dreams of returning to 1996.