No one but Radev? Some Bulgaria went back to ancient Athens. | News and analyzes from Bulgaria DW
Do you remember how Tsvetanov’s young Komsomol members lined up in front of the CEC to register the first parties? After the appearance of Bozhkov’s party and Minyu Staykov’s formation (although their profile is not particularly political). These days a new party was formed by Kiril Petkov and Asen Vassilev, who hope to participate in the next government.
It is different for presidential candidates. None of the big parties dares to nominate a serious competitor of Rumen Radev. Some are justified that the situation was unprecedented, two choices were mixed, others did not have enough money, they were treated well, that an unequal (in terms of sociologists) battle is put in a position of “everything bad” – and not to broadcasts a candidate, and to broadcast a loser, everything will be a pity. “Why burn a man?” Exclaimed Mr. Borissov, pointing us to another, more plausible explanation: no one just wants to sacrifice.
How was it before?
It is true that it is not very inspiring to take part in a previously lost battle, but politics is not just a victory; going on stage itself brings narcissistic satisfaction – ask them about different things, discuss them, become famous and further this can be useful to you. Go back to the beginning of democracy, when there are literally hundreds of candidates for state speeches on TV. Do you remember that lady who called “Eagle with rice” after the name of the party ì or Peter Gogov from the Club of the Repressed, who, toothy, did not report that there was not a single seal? Only a day in us with the amazing discovery that even the painter is not a candidate for president. When you think about why not – get a platform to say various things that were important, included in the story. This introduction was a poet, a condition not to be afraid was to read his poem about God and the devil.
So far this year there is only one such candidacy – of the journalist-patriot. And Stucky is less than 25 days old to cover the 40-year-old. As for Kostadinov, he used the occasion to advertise his party, and Prof. Tomov simply continues to use sports in his political connections. And so.
Young people do not want to be politicians?
Something seems to have happened, politics no longer attracts us like a lamp – flies. Probably the society itself calmed down from the drama called “transition” and we stopped expecting miracles and catastrophes. But if you look at yourself, you will see to compare the processes going on not only in us. The government, which is capable of both elections and internal coups – with democratic leaders like Merkel or Rutte, with semi-dictators like Orban, with close dictators like Putin and Erdogan. Let’s not forget Borissov’s long rule.
Quite strange were the last presidential elections in America, which within three claims were over 70 years old. Young people are not very interested in politics, compared to some crucial moments, as in our country with last year’s protests, and only the political arena is synonymous with corruption. How many more important and pleasant things they have outside of it! Optimism of people like Macron on a quick meeting (yellow) wall of negativism, whatever they connect; I am afraid that this will be the fate of his Bulgarian counterparts Petkov and Vassilev, within whom buckets of water are already being poured (the French president was slapped by an unbalanced man, remember?).
Where does the decline come from?
I do not know where this decline of the public figure comes from. The only problem is the ultra-competitive media environment, which is looking to bring events. If you make the right decision 99 times, but when you make a mistake, what do you think they will write about? Another point of civilization is the growing intolerance of the modern citizen to any government – the inability to delegate it to someone to go. I can’t imagine how this issue will be resolved. And we know from the history of the great Roman Empire that the ultimate assailant will be linked, among other things, to a mass desire of citizens to hold public office: only greedy, obedient, vicious people are to be caught with them.
There is also a purely Bulgarian aspect of the crisis. It is not difficult to nominate national leaders. Pass through you all such names that are associated with presidential candidates. Professor, opera singer, orthopedist, judge, writer, diplomat … Around which of these otherwise worthy people could there be a consensus? And not only why, as Bulgarians, we hate customs.
A modest idea
It seems that there are no mechanisms for creating great national figures both in culture and in public life. They do not defend the social partners within the parties themselves – instead of allowing themselves to be excluded within the organization, attracting ambitious people to create their new formation in this swarm, which is losing its national center. See for yourself General Radev, created in a laboratory by sociologists who are close to the BSP. He turned out to be a decent man, but why wasn’t he involved to grow up in the social sphere?
I propose a modest constitutional idea: to go back to ancient Athens, where the figures are publicly chosen by lot for the average citizen as a form of equality and shared responsibility. You are called by an automated voice from the CEC and you hear: “Dear Sir / Madam, you have been elected as a candidate for President of the Republic. Please apply within 24 hours to submit documents.”