Quite hastily, on the last workday this week, 19 February, the parliament in Sofia rejected a no-confidence vote submitted by the left Coalition of Bulgaria (in practice the Bulgarian Socialist Party), the predominantly ethnic Turkish DPS (Movement for Rights and Freedoms) and two independent MPs. The 69 signatories of the vote could only summon eleven extra votes – ninefrom MPs from Ataka nationalist party and two of independent MPs. The Patriotic Front Coalition and the leftwing ABV who are formally outside the government and are in a way part of the opposition rejected the no-confidence motion. The Bulgarian Democratic Center that is generally accepted as an opposition group chose to abstain. Independent MPs too remained divided – three voted for and three against.

Simple parliamentary arithmetic suggests that Bulgaria’s parliamentary opposition today is rather weak. Formally, it has the potential to mobilize an ordinary majority but in reality is far from the cherished 121 votes. The ruling party Gerb and its coalition partner the Reformist Bloc formally have no ordinary majority of their own because the total of their votes is below 121, however with some support from outside their ranks they have been successful once again. Unfortunately, the latest vote in parliament has made clear that the opposition is weak not only because it is divided. The authors of the motion failed to even elicit a meaningful debate on the issues of the healthcare policy with a view to possible changes to it.

Health Minister Petre Moskov said he would not concede on the policy he pursues regarding medicinal drugs and would not compromise on the change to the infrastructure of the healthcare network, ways of financing etc. The debate won’t be remembered with any brilliant ideas but rather with a spiteful verbal exchange. For example, the health minister advised the socialists to drink less alcohol, as Vladimir Lenin used to advise his party fellows. Socialists retaliated calling him psychologically unstable and asked whether he had had his pills today. This kind of exchange could be entertaining for Bulgarian voters but it in fact betrays the unenviable state of the political elite of the country. At the end of the day though voters are responsible for this state, given that they are the ones who elect the political elite.

English Daniela Konstantinova