The early parliamentary vote has already ended and the results are once again causing concern and bewilderment. It seems that we would have difficult weeks ahead, as we are once again going to see rounds of negotiations between the political forces to form a cabinet. Whether the parties will be able to find common ground this time is still unclear. But one thing is certain - the Bulgarians are tired, many of them have lost their trust and others are downright angry.

Yesterday, Radio Bulgaria contacted some of our compatriots abroad to ask them about the vote and their expectations from the future MPs. But their answers were dominated by disappointment caused by the stalemate in Bulgaria. From all parts of the world Bulgarians called on politicians to show reason and responsibility in the name of the country.

It is high time our politicians stopped bickering and started thinking about Bulgaria, says Sonya Arabadzhieva, who lives and works in Melbourne, Australia and adds that the image of Bulgaria abroad is worsening because of the ongoing series of elections.

"I want to finally see a working government. The political forces and formations must find the strength to form a stable government. We start to look ridiculous with these endless new votes. And each time the results are not satisfactory and it is still not possible to form a cabinet. You need to have a common goal. Bulgaria is the mother of all of us!” she addresses the politicians.

Voters were leaving the polling station saying "I hope we don't see each other for the next four years," Kalina Bogdanova, who has been living in Brisbane, Australia for 8 years, has told Radio Bulgaria. This was her 4th election as part of the electoral commission in the Australian city.

"We hope that a regular government will be formed. I think it is very important that Bulgaria takes a very clear direction towards Euro-Atlantic development. It should have no hesitation in its position, its values and in its strategic orientation. It should take a definite direction to fight corruption and carry out reforms in most of the public sectors, starting with health-care, education, economy. But above all, I expect Bulgaria to return to a very clear goal and a strategic development plan. I think that's what we're missing the most at the moment."

Katerina Ignatova is the secretary of the section commission for the elections in Krakow, Poland, where she has been living for 5 years. Just like many Bulgarians abroad she says she feels fatigue of the series of early elections. But Bulgarian compatriots are still motivated to travel hundreds of kilometers to exercise their civil right to vote.

"I also work as a volunteer with the Bulgarian School in Krakow and I help children keep in touch with their roots, which I think is a way to create and nurture a community away from home. For us, the elections are a process through which people can feel closer to home on this day. The situation in the world is uncertain and we all have to show responsibility."

• Calm election day in Krakow

Svetoslava Alexieva has been living in New Zealand since the beginning of 2017 and yesterday's election day was the first for her, as part of the electoral commission of the Christchurch section. Speaking to BNR’s Vesela Krasteva, she optimistically expressed her hope for a stable government and future for Bulgaria.

After 15 years spent in New Zealand, yesterday Denitsa Stoeva voted for the first time as a resident of Melbourne, Australia. The place is different, but the political commitment as a Bulgarian citizen is the same, and the hope is for a regular Bulgarian government that would restore the balance of power in the country.

"I voted with a thought about the future, with hope for something better and with the deep personal belief that one should vote. Over the years I have seen that citizens in well-developed countries participate actively, vote en masse, and that's what keeps politicians accountable. Parties are responsible to the voters,” Denitsa says.

Sibila Stoyanova has been living in Brussels for eight years and is part of the legal department of the European Parliament.

"I want Bulgaria to behave as a full-fledged member of the EU, as it is one. My friends and I have the feeling that Bulgaria is divided between some concepts, beliefs and myths existing inside the country and what is actually happening here on the European stage. I think these political crises are destructive and serve interests that we should leave behind and move towards something more rational," Sibila Stoyanova has told Radio Bulgaria.

Emiliana Blagoeva has been living with her family in Toronto for 23 years. She is a kinesitherapist and yoga trainer. According to her, voters must have Bulgarian national self-awareness and must be able to speak their native Bulgarian language. What are her expectations from the new parliament?

"First of all, the newly formed parliament must consist of spiritual people who do not focus on their own personal interests, but on the interests of the people. The most important thing is that they love Bulgaria and don't sell themselves to foreign powers. From an astrological point of view, I think that this vote will mark the beginning of a positive change in Bulgaria," Emiliana Blagoeva says.

For 15 years, Sasho Vakashinski has been living with his family in Liberec, Czechia. He says that for him the elections are a step towards a better future for Bulgaria with more foreign investments and jobs:

"I always vote because I want to go back to Bulgaria soon. We are fine abroad because we will not be left without work, but you can never really feel at home here. Whatever you do, you're always a foreigner"

In recent years, the Bulgarian community in Northern Ireland has increased. In the big cities the Bulgarians live more alienated from one another, but in the smaller ones, such as Shannon, they are united and often share their concerns and hopes for Bulgaria. "The shortcomings of our politics and society are best seen from abroad," says Daniela Georgieva, chairperson of the Bulgarian society "Vasil Levski" in the town of Shannon:

"What I want to see in Bulgaria is an end to the constant opposition between ourselves. In Bulgaria, everything causes polarised reactions. Instead of looking for solutions for a way out of the situation, we place a rod in the wheel. This is where the eternal division in our society comes from."

• Bulgarians in Northern Ireland: 'The political elite must be mature enough to compromise for the sake of the country'

Lawyer Martin Petrov, who lives and works in The Hague pointed out the importance of voter turnout for the representativeness of the vote results.

„Going from election to election and spending huge amounts of money taken from the taxpayers is not good for anyone," he adds.

• Ventsislav Georgiev, Las Vegas: Corruption is the killer of any ‎development in Bulgaria

Compiled by: Veneta Nikolova / based on interviews by Vesela Krasteva, Miglena Ivanova, Gergana Mancheva and Yoan Kolev/

English: Al. Markov

Photos: BGNES, personal archives