Bulgarian elections: another stalemate, more chaos
The system-critical ITN party led by TV host Slavi Trifonov has emerged victorious from the Bulgarian parliamentary elections, narrowly beating former PM Boyko Borisov's conservative Gerb. However, the ITN and other parties opposing Borisov have failed to achieve a parliamentary majority. Yet that didn't stop Trifonov from going ahead and naming ministers for a minority government - only to withdraw the proposal in the wake of protests. What comes next?
Trifonov a second Borisov after all?
If Trifonov wants to show that he really is different from his predecessor he must quickly put this false start behind him, Webcafé recommends:
“People who saw Trifonov as a saviour from Boyko Borisov's government are now noticing authoritarian traits in his actions. ... The truth is that Trifonov and his entourage must learn very quickly how politics is done. ... If not, we'll keep going to the polls either until the people put full power in their hands or get fed up and take it away from them.”
Form an expert government, stop new elections
New elections would sweep Borisov back into power, e-vestnik fears:
“In this situation, Gerb would win the election by a small margin. Borisov would then have every reason to beat his chest and proclaim that he is invincible; that the victory of 'There Is Such a People' [ITN] was a brief misunderstanding. So the freshly elected MPs of the parties that want to abolish the Gerb and Borisov model must agree on some kind of expert government so that there are no new elections in the autumn.”