Bulgaria is grappling with disillusionment and nationalism

(ANSA) - SOFIA, MAY 28 - Bulgaria, since its accession to the EU in 2007, is participating for the fourth time in the elections European elections to designate its 17 deputies in the Strasbourg Assembly. But this is the first time that the EU vote, scheduled for June 9, is combined with the national parliamentary elections, yet another early election in the atmosphere of solid political instability that has marked the Balkan country for several years.
    Demographic surveys agree that just one-third of Bulgarians consider the European elections necessary, compared to more than 50 percent of those who favor national ones. According to experts and analysts, voters' choices among the 31 parties and coalitions running for the 50th National Legislature will not differ substantially from those for the 30 lists for the European Parliament.
    Not surprising, then, is the latest poll by the Mediana agency, which forecasts that the nationalists of the Vazrazhdane (Revival) party would surpass the liberals of the Continuing Change party (PP) and that the Turkish minority party Movement for Rights and Freedom (DPS) would come second with 15.7 percent of the vote after the conservative Gerb party, the favorite one according to Mediana, with 27.7 percent.
    Mediana underlines that about a quarter of voters who say they plan to go to the polls—more than 600,000 people—would not have decided who to vote for. Their final decision could radically change the vote outcome even for the European elections. (ANSA).