Parties and coalitions have registered their lists for participation in the upcoming elections with the Central Election Commission and the District Election Commissions. The trend of party leaders serving as candidates in multiple lists has become a common practice, ensuring that unexpected surprises do not leave them out of parliament. However, the desire for change in the status quo remains merely a declaration and is not personalized even in the lists of non-systemic parties and coalitions.
For this reason, it is advisable for voters to review the registered lists in their electoral district before heading to the polls, to try to understand who is who among the candidates, and to make an informed choice rather than an emotional one. Often, those organizing the lists place recognizable local figures—people with good reputations and authority—in unwinnable positions to transfer trust to the corresponding party or coalition.
Typically, a substantial amount of money is paid for the top spots on these lists. It has been suggested that the starting price for securing a position can be upwards of 50,000 leva. Generally, this type of political dealings does not involve the party leaders themselves, but rather those responsible for raising funds for the campaign. Sometimes, negotiations for guaranteed electable positions occur not directly with the candidates for parliament but with those backing them, who are willing to finance their campaign—and that of the party—in the region in exchange for commitments from future representatives.
As the election approaches, the intricacies behind candidate lists highlight the importance of discerning the motivations and affiliations that may influence both the electoral process and the representation of constituents’ interests.
Ruse Electoral District: A Landscape of Registered Parties and Candidates
Thirty parties and coalitions have registered their lists in the 27th Stara Zagora electoral district, some with just a single candidate. An example is the Coalition “Citizens from the Protest,” which features only the name of Stoyan Ivanov Todorov. The name of the coalition can mislead voters, who may assume that it unites parties that participated in last year’s protests against Boyko Borisov and Ivan Geshev. In reality, it gathers ideologically disparate and marginal political entities, with one of the parties— “Union of Free Democrats”—having recently withdrawn from the coalition.
As is often the case, the leadership of the parties does not consider the nominations coming from organizations across the country. They may accept them if they align with the interests of the leaders. Thus, despite Delyan Peevski being the most nominated candidate for the next parliament, his name does not appear on any of the registered lists nationwide. The most banal explanation in such cases is that the candidate does not wish to be a member of parliament.
As the election approaches, the dynamics within the candidate lists in the Stara Zagora electoral district reflect the complexities of local political engagement and the often-corporate nature of party hierarchies. Voter awareness about these underlying issues will be crucial in shaping the electoral outcome.
Confusion Among GERB Supporters in Stara Zagora: Leadership Dynamics and Electoral Lists
Members and supporters of GERB in Stara Zagora are perplexed by the ruling party’s candidate list. Despite former Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Emil Christov receiving the highest number of nominations from party structures in the region, he is not included on the list. Unexpectedly, Manoil Manev, known primarily for his loud appearances in television studios, has claimed the second spot. Emil Christov denied to journalists that there is a conflict between him and the city’s mayor, Zhivko Todorov—a member of the GERB Executive Committee, which has the final say in forming the lists. Everyone in Bulgaria knows who truly holds the final word.
The Coalition “Stand Up! Thugs Out!” is also attempting to mislead voters with its candidate list. Borisлав Lazarov, one of the activists from the summer protests in Stara Zagora against corrupt governance and for moral standards in politics, publicly expressed his confusion about the composition of the coalition’s list and announced that he does not support it. He stated, “I believe that the protest lists MUST NOT include individuals casting even a minimal shadow of doubt regarding current direct or indirect associations with GERB, the parties of the status quo, or their servile formations.”
An activist from the “Poisonous Trio” claims that Maya Manolova has chosen the “Agrarian National Union” (ANU) as a “carrier rocket” in the 27th electoral district, which he views as an insult to the thousands of citizens who supported the protests in Bulgaria for the return of democracy and statehood. A check by “Za Istinata” revealed that the coalition’s registration list was submitted to the Regional Election Commission by Maria Dineva, the chair of the Municipal Council in Stara Zagora and head of the ANU, with authorization from Maya Manolova. This fact raises eyebrows, as the ANU is not part of the “Stand Up! Thugs Out!” coalition, suggesting behind-the-scenes agreements. Such arrangements, of course, come at a cost.
If we follow the maxim “We will recognize them by the lists,” we see that second after Maya Manolova, who leads the Stara Zagora list, is Svetoslav Kolev—appointed in a competitive process in the autumn of 2019 as the head of the industrial zone in Kazanlak, not without the protection of Zhivko Todorov. Thus, if the leader of “Stand Up! BГ” becomes a deputy from Sofia, she will vacate Kolev’s position, who might prove to be a “Trojan horse” within the coalition. What has been promised to Manolova for this deal remains unknown to voters. They also lack answers to why there are no active protest supporters on the Stara Zagora list; it appears they were offered this “honor,” yet chose to decline.
This grand substitution of faces, and thus ideas, demotivates voters, many of whom share the perception that in politics, everyone is a charlatan. However, this is just the beginning of the campaign, and the initial lists reveal that principles have been adhered to as much as in the uniting of parties with differing ideologies.
