A casual observer of current events might conclude that Bulgarians are capricious and excitable people who should beware of what they wish for. Last February widespread demonstrations precipitated the resignation of the centre-right government followed by the dissolution of parliament just two months before the end of its term. Having gone through an early general election in mid-May that brought a centre-left government to power, the country has again been gripped by new vigorous political protests. The current campaign builds upon previous waves of discontent, particularly on environmental issues and energy policy where fraud and mismanagement seem to be endemic. However, today’s rallies are primarily driven by insistence on upholding the fundamental principles of democratic rule. Whether the mobilised people will force more accountability, transparency and morality in government and policy-making depends on breaking the precarious balance in the new National Assembly. Together, the two ruling parties, the Socialists (BSP) and the centrist Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) have exactly half the number of deputies and are vulnerable to the increasingly radical antics of an extremely nationalistic formation, Ataka. More importantly, such division represents significant discord in society as a whole.
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