Election Results Show Trust in Vazrazhdane Is Growing
30 oktober 2024 | Kostadin Kostadinov
FVD is very happy with the positive election results of our Bulgarian ally Revival (Vazrazhdane) on 27 October. Forum for Democracy wants to congratulate Kostadin Kostadinov and his great team on their victory! To give our readers some context, we are happy to republish the statement made by Kostadin Kostadinov.
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The elections are over, and it’s time for an overview. We start, as always, with a thank you to our voters, whose numbers have increased this time. In fact, they increased by 10% compared to what we had previously, from 295,000 votes to 325,000 votes. Of course, this is not enough for us, as our goals are considerably higher. Interestingly, one of our goals was to encourage and motivate people to go out and vote in these elections, and we managed to achieve it, though not with the effect we wished for. Voter turnout indeed increased by almost 300,000 votes, with 2,570,639 (38.94%) people voting in these elections, compared to 2,268,849 (34.41%) in the mid-year elections. Unfortunately, our analysis shows that most of these additional 300,000 votes are likely purchased votes. So, while voter turnout increased, it was largely due to bought votes, leading to results that, frankly, no one could have anticipated.
Our support continues to grow, and we are now the second-largest political force in 15 regions of Bulgaria. In 9 other regions, we are the third-largest political force, and in nearly 20% of Bulgaria’s polling stations, we hold the top position—an increase from the previous elections. This indicates that we are on the right path.
A government will certainly be formed, comprising at least four parties. The only question is which parties will ultimately participate in it. However, regardless of its composition, this government will likely struggle to address the significant challenges facing our country, as the world is changing, and it’s changing faster and faster. Once again, Bulgaria finds itself on the wrong side of history, on the losing side. While a government may be formed, we strongly believe it will not last long. Such a coalition, united solely by the desire to plunder the budget, will soon fall apart, and we’ll be heading to elections again.
Our primary mission will be to continue defending the national interest, as we have always done, especially given the serious geopolitical fault lines that run close to our borders. One priority remains protecting Bulgaria’s thermal power plants, which we will defend even at the risk of a direct confrontation. We are acting in this regard alongside our allies and partners in the Europe of Sovereign Nations Group.
In April, we will host a European energy convention in Sofia, bringing together representatives of political organizations that, like us, believe the Green Deal should be annulled, and carbon quotas (or, more accurately, “carbon taxes”) should be removed as soon as possible. These taxes make our power plants unprofitable by burdening them with artificial costs.
Another key goal is to strengthen national security, which means keeping Bulgaria out of any external conflicts.
An equally important priority remains protecting the Bulgarian lev. Bulgaria’s financial independence must be preserved, as joining the sinking, stagnating, and dying Eurozone would be a national catastrophe. We would inherit massive debts associated with a devaluing currency in which we have no stake, other than the obligation to pay off its debts.
The situation is challenging, with a country practically occupied and controlled, but this does not discourage us—it never has. We will continue defending Bulgaria’s national interests.