Dead race in Bulgarian elections

And Reuters news agency reported that the polls gave Gerb between 22.1 and 23.5 percent of voter support.

The “There Is Such a People” party, abbreviated from ITN, is estimated to be between 21.5 and 22.3 percent.

But even if Gerp and ex-Prime Minister Boyko Borissov succeed in lobbying the place as the largest party, most admit that ITN has a greater chance of forming a government.

– That’s out of the question with Gerb. It is very “toxic” at the moment. I think we can now talk about the end of the Gerb era, at least with the current leadership, says political scientist Vesila Tgerneva of the European Center for International Relations (ECFR).

Led by a rock star

The newly formed ITN, led by TV presenter and rock star Slavy Trifonov, is considered to have better conditions. Support for the party has grown rapidly with the help of massive popular protests in recent years against corruption and abuse of power by those in power.

Sunday’s parliamentary elections are the second in Bulgaria this year. The first attempt, in early April, ended in a stalemate as none of the country’s political forces were able to muster sufficient support for the government.

Trifonov’s hope now lies in building an alliance with two other parties created from protests against the entrenched rulers: Democratic Bulgaria and ISMV (in short, “Travel! Get out with the Mafia!”).

You must cooperate

But in the spring, the states weren’t enough to give a majority to the triumvirate. This creates a major concern for Trifonov, who may need to cooperate with one of the old parties that has been actively associated with the corruption that he wants to fight.

The choice between the Socialist Party, which is the old communist party and seen as part of the problem, or the Movement for Rights and Freedom (DPS) – which is a bigger problem. DPS is the political home of the oligarch Deljan Pejevski, who has been firmly singled out as the one who pulled the strings behind the old regime. It would not be a good choice for Trifonov, Vessela Tjerneva guesses.

Rock music and TV shows

Trifonov launched a satirical show on television in the late 1990s, led the country’s most popular talk show for 20 years and released over 20 albums – also a song with Swedish-Greek winner Helena Paparizo in 2004.

His exact political position is uncertain.

Trifonov is very withdrawn when it comes to speaking to the mainstream media. He used his own TV channel and Facebook account. Tgerneva says he has said he will not be part of the next government or take a seat in parliament, but will have a chance to choose who will sit in the government.

The big question then becomes whether he can keep his promises against corruption.

The question is how big his reformist appetite really is. If he manages to get a majority and does not use it to advance the reforms he promised several years ago, he will become a new symbol of the old, says the political scientist Tierneva in Sofia.