Patriotic Front (PF) co-leader Krasimir Karakachanov has downplayed any division existing between the two main parties within the nationalist alliance or among other of its parties.

In an interview with public broadcaster BNT, Karakachanov has blamed "hybrid warfare" for the reports he is increasingly at odds with Valeri Simeonov, the chairman of NFSB party and also PF co-leader.

"It is only now that I understand what our former President [Rosen Plevneliev] meant when he spoke of hybrid wars," Karakachanov has told the BNT.

Plevneliev, who left office last week, maintains Bulgaria is subjected to a hybrid war led by Russia.

But on Thursday, as his successor Radev was sworn in, Karakachanov and Simeonov adopted strikingly different positions on the new head of state.

The disagreement was preceded by several conflicting statements from the offices of the NFSB and Karakachanov's VMRO on future coalitions for the snap election this spring.

In the words of Karakachanov, however, all rhetoric on division is linked to the beginning of the "hybrid election campaign," but waged by mainstream parties and not only by foreign powers.

"It is clear that in and out of Bulgaria there are political powers which do not wish for the United Patriots [the alliance between the PF and long-time adversary Ataka] to be united and stand together in elections."

Bulgaria is in the midst of an unofficial election campaign, with a snap poll not due before the end of March and the true campaign not exected to begin in at least a month.