Bulgaria Right Wing Flex Muscles for Next Govt

The leader of Bulgaria's opposition Union of Democratic Forces has expressed the belief that a right-wing cabinet is the best scenario for the future of the country.

"The best thing that can happen to Bulgaria is a coalition government between GERB, UDF and partners," Martin Dimitrov, the recently elected leader of the party, said at a forum in Montana, referring to the popular right-wing formation of Sofia mayor Boyko Borisov.

Dimitrov did not forecast a landslide victory for GERB at the upcoming general elections even though the party currently enjoys the highest public approval rates. He added that the party lacks the expertise needed for running the country and should reach out to other partners to obtain it.

"GERB may be an attractive party with an attractive leader, but they don't have the necessary expertise potential and are not ready to come to power," Dimitrov said.

A decision for a broad right-wing coalition will be taken at the National Council of the party, Dimitrov said, as calls for unity were heard from the local units of the party from across the country.

The Union of Democratic Forces, an emblematic party, which stood for change during the country's post-communist transition in 1990s, has seen its influence increasingly fade over the last few years.

The UDF presently has no members of the European Parliament as it failed to pass the 5% threshold in Bulgaria's EP elections in the spring of 2007 (it received 4,74% of the votes). After this election failure, the UDF was led by the businessman Plamen Yurukov, who recently decided to give up the position of party chair.

The performance of all rightist parties in Bulgaria at elections has been going from bad to worse since 2001. Given the history of bad blood between some of their leaders, it remains to be seen whether they will be able to put difference aside and pool their efforts.

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