Serious concerns were raised ahead of Bulgaria’s presidential run-off over the government’s use of state institutions to campaign for one of the candidates.
Bulgarian citizens deserve free and fair elections - and attempts by the government to exert political influence run counter to democratic principles and European values.
The controversy began the day after the first round, when Prime Minister Rumen Radev called on citizens to vote for President Iliana Iotova. The government’s official press office, website and social media channels then published his appeal.
The Central Election Commission dismissed a complaint against the publications by just eight votes to seven. The decision was then appealed to the Supreme Administrative Court. The government subsequently deleted the posts, issuing a sarcastic statement that mocked those who had lodged the complaint.
State institutions are not campaign tools
The boundary between party and state, the equal treatment of candidates and public trust in the electoral process must be upheld. State institutions belong to all citizens, not to one party or candidate.
A taxpayer-funded government press office is a public service, not a campaign platform. Mocking those who raise legitimate concerns does nothing to strengthen confidence in the vote.
Renew Europe Group President Valérie Hayer called for Bulgaria to return to the democratic path, warning that the stakes extend beyond the election itself:
“We expect Bulgaria to get straight back on the democratic path, and the stakes could not be higher. Just two days ago, yet another container ship was struck by a sea drone off the Bulgarian coast, the latest in a series of attacks in the Black Sea that threaten the security of Bulgaria and the whole European Union.
At such a moment, Bulgarians need government institutions they can trust and an election whose fairness is beyond doubt. Bulgarians have shown many times their commitment to Europe, and their institutions must guarantee their fundamental right to choose freely.”
Ultimately, Bulgarian voters must be able to make their choice freely, knowing that the institutions serving them are impartial and that the election is fair. Their trust in the democratic process must come before any political interest.