Rosen Plevneliev, who served as Bulgaria's president from 2012 to 2017, expressed skepticism about the prospects of forming a regular government following the early parliamentary elections in October. In an interview with BGNES, he revealed his concerns about the current political landscape in the country, particularly regarding the upcoming election of the Speaker of the National Assembly.

Plevneliev pointed out that the political parties in Bulgaria would likely stick to their entrenched positions, emphasizing division rather than cooperation. “From the very first day of the new parliament, each party will draw clear dividing lines, with each nominating their own candidate for Speaker,” he said. He described this as a “tragic” scenario, where the fundamental democratic principles and traditions built over the years are being undermined.

The former president noted that this political environment could lead to further division and populism. He lamented that Bulgaria might face a future of ongoing political instability, warning that a sustainable formula for forming a government seemed unlikely. Plevneliev also expressed his belief that small political parties in the parliament should encourage the two leading political forces to find common ground, as they were the ones with the greatest mandate from the electorate.

However, he was not optimistic about this happening, as he predicted that the situation would remain challenging and divisive. He feared that the political discourse would be marred by heavy populism, which would poison the democratic process. Plevneliev further criticized the actions of "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB), particularly their declaration of a "sanitary cordon" around Delyan Peevski and his DPS-New Beginning party. He believed these appeals were rushed and poorly thought out, contributing to further division in Bulgarian politics.

He argued that isolating a political party in this manner was undemocratic and counterproductive, likely to create significant problems for Bulgaria. Such an approach could alienate citizens of Turkish ethnic self-awareness or Bulgarian-speaking Muslims, leading to a deepening of existing divisions. Plevneliev also warned that this kind of rhetoric would harm Bulgaria’s international reputation, further damaging the country’s already fragile standing abroad.

Looking at the broader political divisions in the country, Plevneliev identified the primary fault lines as being between Russia and the West, and between populists and democrats. He predicted that these divides would only widen, and expressed concern that Bulgaria might soon face not just its eighth but also a ninth round of early elections. He lamented how the rise of populism in Bulgaria mirrored similar trends globally, especially with figures like Donald Trump gaining traction in world politics.

Plevneliev was particularly critical of populism, describing it as a force that weakens democratic institutions and fosters autocratic leadership. He warned that if Bulgaria continued down this path, it would increasingly fall under the sway of populist ideologies that threaten democracy. “Populists destroy democracy and weaken institutions,” he said, adding that this trend would only continue to worsen as populists gain ground in the National Assembly.

He concluded with a quote from President Zhelev, a key figure in Bulgarian democracy, who had once said, “Democracy is cured by more democracy.” Plevneliev echoed this sentiment, warning that a shift towards populism would only lead to greater division and further erosion of democratic values in Bulgaria. He stressed that such developments would ultimately mean less democracy, not more.