US Ambassador to Bulgaria James Pardew said nationalist Attack’s fourth place in the June 25 ballot is a vote of protest. Photo by Yuliana Nikolova (Sofia News Agency)
Attack's rhetoric strongly reminds me of the ‘90s atmosphere in Bosnia, said US Ambassador to Bulgaria James Pardew.
I think this is a vote of protest, he told Bulgarian daily 24 Hours with regard to the results from the country's June 25 elections. Nationalist coalition Attack (Ataka) ranked fourth with about 8.16%.
Pardew pointed his surprise that nationalist spirits are taking over Bulgaria given that its Balkan neighbors have already learned their lesson during the Yugoslavia wars. However, he expressed his belief that Bulgarians as a whole do not share Attack's general conception.
He said the election outcome did not surprise him, as he had been following various sociological polls. Pardew pointed that the one-month duration of Bulgaria's pre-election campaign makes it more intense and frugal than in the US.