Bulgaria Must Choose Democratic Renewal Over Democratic Pretence

Without clear, institutional reforms that restore democratic accountability and political inclusion, another election risks deepening the country’s political crisis rather than resolving it.

The emergence of a possible new political party led by Radev risks becoming an empty promise if it is not matched by concrete democratic change. Calls for fair elections and democratic, free development ring hollow when paired with rhetoric that echoes anti-EU positions, pro-Kremlin narratives, and the illiberal playbook seen elsewhere in Europe. 

This moment does not represent a break with Bulgaria’s political status quo. It reflects its continuation. For those protesting in the streets, the question is whether they are being offered a genuine new option, or simply a different face of the same political order they are rejecting. For years, the country has maintained a facade of EU democracy while entrenched oligarchic interests and Kremlin-aligned ideas have shaped political life. 

Roma experience this reality first-hand. They account for roughly ten percent of Bulgaria’s population, yet there are currently zero Roma members of parliament. At the same time, Bulgaria has held seven parliamentary elections in four years without producing durable governance or expanding political representation. This is structural exclusion, not political apathy.

That exclusion carries real economic and social consequences. Bulgaria’s Roma population is estimated at up to 750,000, yet only 47 percent are in employment, compared to 73 percent of the general population. Among Roma youth aged 16 to 24, 54 percent are not in education, employment, or training. At a time when Bulgaria’s workforce is projected to shrink by more than 30 percent by 2050, excluding a young and growing population from political and economic participation is not only unjust, it is unsustainable.

Stability built on exclusion and democratic shortcuts is not a solution to Bulgaria’s political crisis. A genuine way out requires confronting political exclusion directly. This includes enforcing electoral rules in areas where vote-buying and intimidation persist, acting decisively against racism against Roma in political campaigning and creating real pathways for Roma participation in decision-making at local and national level.

Any future president or leading political party must be judged on concrete commitments. These include guaranteeing free and fair elections in practice, not only in law; regulating hate-based and disinformation-driven campaigning; ensuring independent oversight of electoral abuses; and ending the permanent absence of Roma voices from political institutions. 

Securing a prosperous future for Bulgaria means choosing an open, European path rooted in the rule of law, political inclusion, and equal citizenship. Without that shift, no new party, no new election, and no new president will resolve the crisis.