Ever more difficult” “

“The political situation in Bulgaria [a country with a population of 7,918,00] is now very complicated, and it’s becoming ever more difficult to see clearly and orientate oneself”, comments the bishop of the diocese of Sofia-Plovdiv, Gheorghi Jovcev, in a snap judgement on the results of the general elections that were held in the country on 25 June and that led to victory being claimed by the Socialist Party. “All the politicians speak well; it seems they really will address the country’s social and economic problems. Let’s hope that things don’t turn out different. There’s always the risk of demagogy and, when it boils down to it, it could be that all the fine words are empty and that behind them all is the failure of political projects”. “The fact that no dominant party emerged is however a positive fact”, Msgr. Jovcev continues (the Socialist Party obtained 31.17% of the vote and so the question of possible coalitions remains open). “That means that no one can boast too much. On the other hand, however, this situation makes the nation unstable. The Socialist Party, in fact, will be unable to form its own government. One possibility is represented by a possible alliance with the Turkish minority party, “Movement of Rights and Liberties”, which obtained 12.68% of the vote, but even in this case there would still be a shortfall of 6 MPs to reach an absolute majority. Nor can it be excluded that the “Simeon II National Movement”, founded by the former king and outgoing prime minister, that has governed Bulgaria for the last four years, and that obtained 19.88% of the vote (60% less than in 2001) may make a deal with the Socialists in the name of the country’s political stability. In any case, the hope of the bishop of Sofia-Plovdiv is that “the next rulers may lead Bulgaria to be no longer one of the countries with the lowest per capita income in Europe. For cultural and spiritual growth man must have at least the minimum necessary to be able to live”. The great surprise of these elections was the entry into Parliament of a new ultra-nationalist and xenophobic formation “Ataka” (Attack); a movement that is opposed to NATO, privatisation, ethnic and religious minorities, and in favour of a revision of relations with the EU, of which Bulgaria is due to become a member in 2007. With reference to the result achieved by this movement, 8.21% of the vote which makes it the fourth leading party in Parliament, Bishop Jovcev has expressed concern and regret “about the advance of movements to which poor and desperate people, victims of injustices, and with a low level of cultural and spiritual growth, have lent their support. Unfortunately extreme poverty makes people capable of anything”. The observation is a bitter one. It reconfirms the risk that the cost of the current crisis of the European Union will especially be paid by countries that only recently emerged from a dictatorial regime and that hoped for a European future of democracy, freedom and development.