Leader’s Commentary: Bulgaria’s external internal affairs
Russia’s decision to partial mobilization of over 300,000 men makes the war in Ukraine much more complicated. The situation in Europe is becoming more complicated. The situation in the world is becoming more complicated. And the situation in Bulgaria, logically, becomes more complicated.
The so-called “referendums” for direct Russian annexation of a fifth of the territory of Ukraine will coincide with the last week of the pre-election campaign in our country, and the announcement of the annexation itself will happen two or three days before the elections on October 2. That will be it a precedent not seen since World War IIa, in which one aggression will actually be rendered as “defense of the homeland“. They will be detached territories, which will be “declared” the territories of a foreign country, which will be defended with threats from nuclear weapons. This means that the EU will most likely impose even harsher sanctions. Chaos will increase in international relations. The situation will become even more unpredictable and dangerous.
And I’m not telling you this because I want to scare you, but because the war in Ukraine, the mobilization in Russia, the reaction of Europe, all these mutually helping events have an impact on our life in Bulgaria – on emotions, public sentiments, our values, prices, inflation, politics and the demands we will have on those who fight for our votes and protect the interests of our European Bulgaria.
because, to understand what will happen inside – we have to look outside. And not through the prism of contrasting love or hate, but through the power of facts that show that the war will escalate in a direction that is difficult to predict. It strikes me that against this background, in the past weeks of the campaign most political forces avoided talking about the war for fear of losing voteswithout realizing that this is how it depersonalizes itself and becomes a part of the landscape that we are already painfully familiar with.
A similar metamorphosis is also experienced by the official office, which from the statement that “this winter there will be people dying of cold“got to”We have secured gas for the winter and may even exportWith the expected escalation, we will no longer hear about negotiations with Gazprom, because simply this is no longer on the agenda and is part of the past.
Very soon, I will have to make very tough decisions around which you will have to unite. Because a disunited society will not be able to lose through the coming turbulence. They will be needed compromises. It will be needed dialogue. And some calmness and normalcy to show society that whatever happens, it happens leaders who are willing to take responsibility for their words and you will not change your positions according to the direction of the wind. Because that time will come in history, and it is being written before our eyes. Such eras require leaders who realize that it is their historical responsibility not to know through difficulties and dangers without a thought of personal rating. The time of personality is coming.
In seven days, Bulgaria will vote for the fourth time in the last 20 months. The constant reiteration that voter turnout will be at a record low should not be demotivating, because it simply isn’t true. It will always be low as long as we vote on lists that have never been active over the years. Years of melting of the Bulgarian population, but keeping all the same lists. So let’s forget about this mantra and just vote. Therefore, after the second of October, there will be a strategic test for Bulgarian policies and their maturity. As for ours.
Foreign affairs will determine internal policy. They are our external internal affairs that set the direction of the uncertain future.