Publikationen

The local elections did not produce an advantage to any party and did not question the government formula. Constitutional changes all in all increase political uncertainty. There is an ambition to monopolise the economic process within the triangle of

GERB – PP-DB – MRF.

The upheavals and scandals in the parliamentary majority arise mainly from the clash of partners over the future of the Bulgarian energy industry. The results of the local elections show that all the leading parties are suffering political damage from the current administration. The candidate for mayor of Sofia, Vanya Grigorova, has become a leading figure in the left political space.

The government is stabilising under the increasing political influence of GERB and MRF. The tension between the President and the government determines the political agenda to a very great extent. Disputes related to values, culture and history increasingly dominate the media debate and polarise society.

The trends of the political crisis in Bulgaria are continuing, despite the formation of a regular cabinet. Those in power are trying to legitimise themselves with a constitutional reform without clear content. The campaign for the local elections has actually already

started.

The most expected option for a government has been realised, but after scandals, eroding its legitimacy from the very beginning. The new majority seeks to achieve consolidation around two causes: geopolitical (support for Ukraine) and institutional (limiting the President). The problems in the judiciary dictate a significant part of the agenda of the Bulgarian parties and politicians.

Online platforms operate under an unclear legal framework, which is subject to minimum standards established at the national level. Existing national laws and regulations are in need of revision and update. Only a few European countries have made an attempt to introduce a regulatory framework for online platforms, addressing specific needs of the provision of services or relating to the working conditions of people working though platforms. The Project Mapping Platform Economy

sheds some lights on the complexity of platform ecosystem by providing visualisation of several regulatory aspects of platform work at the national level in over 30 countries.

The most realistic alternative to new pre-term elections - a government with the support of GERB and PP-DB - is currently in a state of deadlock. The assassination attempt against the Chief Prosecutor Ivan Geshev is a worrying sign for the international reputation of Bulgaria. The draft budget for 2023 highlights a new line of tension between the caretaker cabinet and parliament.

The early elections do not point to a clear way out of the political crisis in Bulgaria. The current dilemma remains: “an expert government with broad support” or new early elections. The nationalist “breakthrough” in parliament is serious and has every chance of growing.

The election campaign in Bulgaria has started against the backdrop of confrontational geopolitical interpretations. A battle for the first place is forming between GERB-UDF and “We Continue the Change” (“Produlzhavame Promianata” - PP) - Democratic Bulgaria, which does not yet look like a battle for government. The crisis of the Bulgarian Socialist Party is the main reason for the lack of an adequate social agenda in the country.

The failure of the 48th National Assembly has deepened the political crisis in Bulgaria. The political process is constructed as a clash between the “experienced” and the “good”, ignoring the social agenda. Conditions are being created for a Eurosceptic wave via the tools of direct democracy.