Excluding the current topic of the Covid-19 pandemic and the still active state of the virus, the last few days in Bulgaria have been marked by the tense relations between the Prime Minister and the President and the political talk about who is behind of and what is aimed by the "leak" of compromising materials in the public space // related to the Prime Minister, whether they will lead to early elections, whether resignations are needed, etc. Against this background, the former second major politician in the ruling party, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, set out to take an independent part in politics. He officially left GERB at the height of the "scandal" with the prime minister and party leader Boyko Borissov.

In fact, months before the regular parliamentary elections in the spring of 2021, we are already witnessing an increasingly active process of "party construction". Intentions for new political formations are shown by various public figures - from former politicians and MPs to businessmen and showmen. And they all declare a common goal - the overthrow of Boyko Borissov and GERB from the government.

What are the possible new political projects at the moment?

There are very serious intentions declared by the former MP from BSP, then national ombudsman, and a year ago - a serious contender for the mayor's seat in Sofia - Maya Manolova.

Recently, she is quite active in the media and social networks. Entering the role of a skilled vlogger, Manolova comments on the more important or "scandalous" stories from the country’s social and political. And given the serious success she achieved in the local elections in the capital, it would be quite realistic for her platform "Ippravise.BG" (Rise Bulgaria) to grow into a party.

Another new political formation seems almost certain - that of Slavi Trifonov, a popular TV host, singer and musician. The request for the registration of his political project entitled “Ima takuv narod” ("There is such a people") is already in court and is awaiting a decision. Trifonov announced his intention to enter politics a year ago, and since then sociologists have reported such public support for him that would ensure his presence in parliament.

It is clear that the former deputy chairman and pre-election strategist of GERB Tsvetan Tsvetanov will also form a new party. All that is known about it is that it will be center-right. It is difficult to predict what its chances are of gaining enough votes to enter the National Assembly at the current stage. The memory of the so-called "Apartmentgate", in which Tsvetan Tsvetanov was among the leading figures involved, is still strong. Although the Specialized Prosecutor's Office terminated the investigation due to a lack of data on corruption and other crimes, a high level of bitterness in the public consciousness remains due to the cheaper properties that those in power have options to obtain. On the other hand, Tsvetanov is known as a very good party organizer and successful chairman of GERB's election headquarters. So, no wonder that he might manage to pull a trump card in his favour until the elections.

Strange, brave, for some analysts - too frivolous, turned out to be the "plunge" in the political sea of ​​the fugitive gambling tycoon Vasil Bozhkov, who is hiding in Dubai after being charged in absentia by the prosecution with several charges. Through a video message from his Facebook page, he even announced the name of his future political project - "Bulgarian Summer". According to analysts, Bozhkov's planned political party has a vague ideological face and looks more like a flirtation with the media than a serious intention, and the goal is for the businessman to keep the interest in his own personalitystrong.

So, ten months before the regular parliamentary elections, several new political entities are starting to emerge on the horizon, so far more familiar with their leading figures and less with the ideas they profess. However, time is ahead of us to show in which direction both the new projects and their leaders will take, as well as which of them the Bulgarian voters will trust.

English Rossitsa Petcova

Photos: BTA, BGNES