Who is who in Tsvetan Tsvetanov’s party and a coalition with GERB is possible – Politics

© Julia Lazarova

The “Republicans for Bulgaria” party of the former second in GERB Tsvetan Tsvetanov, who resigned about two months after the start of the “Apartmentgate” scandal, is expected to be officially established next week, and today the first official step has been taken – meeting the initiative committee. It includes 89 delegates, including Tsvetanov’s former colleagues from the GERB, businessmen, scientists, athletes, a criminal psychologist, an opera singer and a journalist. It was clear from Tsvetanov’s statement to the media that while he is critical of the current government, he does not rule out a possible coalition with his former party in the future.

In addition to defining himself in center-right politics and upholding Euro-Atlantic values, Tsvetan Tsvetanov’s speech left its mark on efforts to point out the “unification of ethnic groups” claims that “the party will not rule itself”, as they were listed by name a series of “young people from abroad” (the countries listed include the United States, France and Germany, the author’s note.) and “local people” who support the party.

Old GERB

In Tsvetanov’s speech, Boyko Borissov’s party name was mentioned directly only once, when Tsvetan Tsvetanov thanked Eng. Gunay Ismail, who left GERB a week ago and until then party coordinator for minority affairs in the region of Shumen. (For the separated members of the UDF to Tsvetanov – here. For the migration of people from GERB to the former second in the party – here, here and here).

Former GERB deputy Dzhema Grozdanova is also part of the initiative committee “Republicans for Bulgaria”. He left the ruling party at the end of July and two weeks later attended the 2019 annual analysis presentation by the Euro-Atlantic Security Center, a non-governmental organization headed by Tsvetan Tsvetanov.

© Julia Lazarova

At Sunday’s event, Grozdanova told reporters that she would join Tsvetanov because the party would be “with a different approach to work,” but at the same time she pointed out only general characteristics: in a different way, without aggression, without showing superiority. ” Gemma Grozdanova also said that so far she has not “found efficiency” in her work at GERB.

Although in his recent media appearances, Tsvetanov criticized the ruling party, he also said that “this government has exhausted trust” and he and Dzhema Grozdanova do not rule out a partnership with GERB in the future with possible sufficient support in the upcoming elections. “This is quite normal, because the parties with whom Tsvetanov says he can form a coalition are on the center-right spectrum, members of the European People’s Party (EPP),” Dzhema Grozdanova told reporters on Sunday.

A little later, when asked by Dnevnik if GERB was a possible partner of the Republicans for Bulgaria, Tsvetan Tsvetanov responded evasively: on the one hand, he stressed that he could govern with formations that “support the Euro-Atlantic leadership”, but and criticize “the implementation of Russian energy projects in the country “. He left a loophole with the words: “It all depends on the talks that can take place after the parliamentary elections are over.”

© Julia Lazarova

The meeting of the initiative committee of “Republicans for Bulgaria” was attended by former Blagoevgrad mayor Atanas Kambitov, who left the GERB in early September, according to “Capital” and former Bansko mayor Georgi Ikonomov. The latter was one of the supporters of expanding the ski area over the city, which, however, has so far proved impossible because the Supreme Administrative Court finally overturned a government decision to change the management plan of Pirin National Park without an environmental assessment.

Today, Tsvetanov did not rule out the possibility of other GERB people joining his party, but declined to indicate specific areas.

Pavel and Rumen Valnevi

Tsvetanov was the first to thank the Valnevi brothers, former owners of the defunct BiT television, during his speech to introduce the party’s initiative committee, because they came from the United States. Pavel Valnev told Dnevnik that he currently lives in two places, the United States and Bulgaria, and joins Republicans for Bulgaria because of the party’s Euro-Atlantic leadership.

© Julia Lazarova

“I am not entering politics to hold a state position, I do not want to be a deputy or a minister. I am entering to help the state to get out of the current situation,” said Pavel Valnev, but did not indicate exactly what ideas he has. He said that he had traveled the world, knew “how business works in the United States” and that “first there must be the will to fight the mafia.” When asked who he thinks the mafia is, he said: “You know who the mafia is. It’s a long conversation. I don’t think we can talk about this here. They have energy, they want to change things,” says one of the business brothers. .

BNT people

The declaration for the establishment of the Republican party for Bulgaria was read by the journalist and presenter of the program “Faith and Society” of the Bulgarian National Television (BNT) Goran Blagoev, who in June came into conflict with the general director of BNT Emil Koshlukov due to to his critical positions towards the Bulgarian Orthodox Church (BOC) and Boyko Borisov. During the summer, there were doubts that the show would not continue from the fall, but a check on the BNT website showed that it airs every Saturday at 4 p.m.

© Julia Lazarova

“We believe that competence and integrity should become fundamental in the development of Bulgarian politics, because from now on people will accept as leaders only politicians who have morals, experience and dialogue,” read Goran Blagoev as part of the statement. .

Tsvetanov’s party also includes Viktor Serafimov, who was the host of the event today. He has a doctorate in international law and a reference on the BNT website shows that Serafimov still sits on the board of directors of public media.

© Julia Lazarova

Todor Todorov

Todor Todorov is a criminal psychologist, working in the Interior Ministry when Tsvetan Tsvetanov was Interior Minister. He is a regular guest on television shows when he comments on crime world topics. There is also a private business that includes polygraph exams. “It’s not that there is anything here that is currently being subjected to a lie detector,” Tsvetanov said thanking Todorov for joining the party.

© Julia Lazarova

The criminal psychologist told Dnevnik that in the last ten years he had had several offers to enter politics, which he rejected, but recently “very unpleasant things have started to happen” and he does not want to “be a bystander in these processes.” He said that Tsvetan Tsvetanov was “the only minister during which everything could be done without a hat, umbrella, protection for anyone.” In his words, “all people lie on average seven times a day” and “politicians before politicians are people”, but “there are lies that cover up crimes. These lies are already bad work.”

Todorov claims that he has not yet decided whether to give up his private business on behalf of the country’s eventual government, but if that happens, he will work towards having a law on psychology in Bulgaria.

Opera singer and athletes

The names of several athletes were mentioned during Tsvetan Tsvetanov’s match initiative committee presentation: Blagoy Blagoev is a world champion in weightlifting and according to Tsvetanov, he has lived in Australia for 30 years, represents the Bulgarian community in Melbourne and enters in politics for the first time. . Other athletes mentioned, part of “Republicans for Bulgaria” are Nikolina Shtereva (athletics), Svetla Zlateva (athletics) and Filip Videnov (basketball). The party also includes opera singer Georgi Pandurov, who has lived and worked in Germany for 40 years.

Sunday’s party event officially ended with a group photo, during which a song by popular British band Coldplay, called “Fix you” (translated from English – “Let me fix you” – author’s note.)