Event
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On 2 April 2023, Bulgaria will elect a new parliament for the fifth time in two years. After the last election in October 2022, it was again not possible to establish a stable majority in the national parliament in Sofia in three attempts. After the conservative GERB party (a member of the EPP at the European level), which won the last election, the party "We continue the change" (PP) and the socialist BSP party also returned the mandate to form a government to the President of the Republic, who in this case must dissolve parliament and call new elections in accordance with the constitution. The other parties had ruled out cooperation with the GERB party of former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov in the run-up to the last election and stuck to this position after the election. Another government majority was also not possible due to the discord among the other parties. For the April election, polls predict a neck-and-neck race between GERB and an electoral alliance of "We Continue the Change" and the party "Democratic Bulgaria" (DB), which is running together for the first time in this election. Both can probably expect about 25 per cent support. Other parties that could be needed for a majority, some of which were founded only a few months or years ago, follow at a great distance. A clear positioning and location is therefore not recognisable and possible for all parties, which could make the for-mation of a government difficult even after the fifth ballot in a very short time.
Who are the winners, who are the losers of the Parliamentary Election 2023? What issues have dominated the election campaign? Is there hope that the political stalemate in Bulgaria can be resolved after the fifth Parliamentary Elections in two years? How does the multiplicity of elections affect trust in politics? Can changes of course be expected in do-mestic and European policy or is the country relying on continuity with this vote?
The event „The Morning After – Bulgaria has voted” will take place on Tuesday, 04 April 2023 from 09:30-10:15 CET via Zoom. We look forward to discussing the election result with our colleague Norbert Beckmann-Dierkes, Director of the KAS Office in Bulgaria. After the conversation between Mr Beckmann-Dierkes and Dr. Hardy Ostry, Director of the European Office of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, the audience will have the opportunity to contribute their ques-tions to the discussion. The event will be held in German with simultaneous interpretation into English. Registration here
Here you will find the program for download: Programme 23-04-04 Bulgaria has voted.pdf
