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“Bulgaria, and Borissov, have passed a point of no return.” Under this headline, the prestigious magazine Politico published a comment by the former US ambassador to Sofia James Pardew.
If Europe cares about protecting democracy, it will now have to take the initiative to support the protesters’ demands for change in Bulgaria. Unfortunately, Washington cannot be helpful in improving democracy in Bulgaria while Donald Trump is in the White House. The US president shows no interest in supporting democracy during his term, and this is unlikely to change as the US elections approach, Pardew said.
At the same time, the diplomat noted that “the EU, which provides huge subsidies to Bulgaria, has the means and the interest to attack the lack of rule of law, freedom of expression and other fundamental elements of democracy in Bulgaria. However, , European funds that are abused and corruption comes from the taxpayers of EU countries, and the EU is responsible for ensuring the safety of these funds. “
Borissov created a system that has many of the characteristics of a one-party state. In effect, it destroyed the country’s political opposition through the widespread use of threats, local corruption, and alleged massive vote-buying in individual communities. The ruling party, Citizens for European Development in Bulgaria, is gradually consolidating power at the expense of democracy and development, writes in his article for Politico James Pardew.
Borissov and his political apparatus can be described as “a light version of Putin” as they use the same tactics as the Russian head of state, but with a slightly softer approach. Although Borisov likes to present himself as a populist, his methods are authoritarian. Bulgaria also has a gallery of wealthy “oligarchs”, including Delyan Peevski, who controls the distribution of the media throughout the country. Support for Borissov and GERB is a requirement for membership in this club. The benefits for supporters can be severe and the penalties for others severe, the American diplomat writes.
The full Bulgarian translation of James Pardew’s article can be read in “Boulevard Bulgaria”
