The constitutional assembly of the Da, Balgaria! /Yes, Bulgaria!/ new political formation took place on 7 January 2017, as it had been announced end-2016. The main political goals of the project, centered around the figure of ex-Minister of Justice Hristo Ivanov are superiority of the law guaranteed, alongside effective and accessible justice; sensible acceleration of the country’s development pace and the start of a purposeful fight with systematic poverty, aiming at the raising of the living standard. The goals have resulted in an exceptional level of public support – over less than a month’s time the project has attracted 4,500 people as members and some EUR 45,000 in donations. At the same time the establishment of Da, Balgaria! predicts serious restructuring of the rightist political space, linked till recently mainly to the Reformist Bloc coalition.

Two days prior to the constitution of the new party Democrats for Strong Bulgaria’s leader Radan Kanev once again stated in public that his formation would opt for joint actions with Da, Balgaria!, based on common goals: a reform of the system of justice and the fight against corruption. On the same day the Union of Democratic Forces expelled his Sofia leader Lyuben Petrov due to his disagreement with the new ally framed. Some people say that the Reformist Bloc’s Bulgarian Agrarian National Union also sees will among its members to ally with Da, Balgaria!

At the same time we witness such attitude and intentions outside the RB as well. The Zelenite /Greens/ environmental party also shows will to enter a coalition with the newly established project of Hristo Ivanov. The DEOS (Movement for European Unification and Solidarity) party openly states similar intentions.

Da, Balgaria! welcomes all that interest not only due to its intentions to work for the reaching of its goals together with other political forces. With a bit over a couple of months remaining till the polls the new formation will hardly find the time necessary to establish enough units of its own across the country and that could be compensated by allying with older formations.

However, the emerging of Da, Balgaria! is not the only suggestion for the restructuring of the political space. Some expect a probable cooperation with the party of businessman Vesselin Mareshki. Even in case nothing like this happens, sociology experts foresee a support of 5.2 percent at the forthcoming polls for the Varna businessman. Experimental tests also come to show that an eventual political formation of showman Slavi Trifonov could reach over 12% of the vote.

Latest 2016 sociological polls showed that the difference between the major political forces – GERB and BSP had dropped below 2%, as 20.3% of vote holders would opt for the first one while 18.4% would cast their ballot for the socialists. The United Patriots would take 10.1% and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms – 6.3%.

However, the current restructuring of the political space may change that percentage ratio in a significant and surprising manner.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev