Former Portuguese Premier Antonio Guterres was elected as the next UN Secretary General during the latest voting of the UN Security Council. Thus, the expectations that a female candidate from Eastern Europe would take the UN top job turned out to have been an illusion. According to some sources, Russia decided to support Guterres in the last moment, instead of choosing between several nominees from Southeast Europe. That outcome caused huge disappointment in Bulgaria.

This topic is very sensible in Bulgaria, because two Bulgarian women ran for the highest position in the United Nations. Initially, Bulgaria's cabinet nominated UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova for UN Secretary General and later changed her candidature with the one of EU Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva. However, Irina Bokova did not withdraw her candidature and remained in the competition. She managed to place fourth and Bulgaria's official nominee placed eight during the latest voting. The Bulgarian Socialist Party and ABV party were categorically against the decision of the Bulgarian cabinet to change its nominee from the very beginning. However, the cabinet was subject to a much stronger criticism after the end of the voting and political tension in Bulgaria rose significantly. Even GERB's Deputy Chairman Tsvetan Tsvetanov admitted that perhaps all parties were to be blamed for that result and the lack of agreement on Bulgaria's candidature. The political parties exchanged severe verbal attacks which made President Rossen Plevneliev to call on all parties to restrain from any insults and accusations, because in his words both Bulgarian women performed well at the competition. His appeal, however, did not yield the necessary results in that hostile atmosphere, where Premier Borissov himself claimed that Irina Bokova showed impudence and decided to remain in the competition after the Bulgarian cabinet withdrew its support towards her.

The Bulgarian Socialist Party and ABV party insisted that the current cabinet should resign and that EU Commissioner had to withdraw from her position in the European Commission. The Movement for Rights and Freedoms also demanded the resignation of the Bulgarian cabinet. Thus, the latest political developments in Bulgaria may speed up the political consultations about a no-confidence vote against the cabinet. The Presidential nominee of the nationalistic formations (the Patriotic Front and Ataka) Krasimir Karakachanov said that the parties should ask the cabinet to take responsibility after the forthcoming Presidential elections in November.

Premier Boyko Borissov found himself in the eye of the political storm and nervously rejected the demands of his resignation. In his words, the failure of the Bulgarian nominee to head the UN is due to the decision of the great powers to abandon the idea to elect a UN Secretary General from Southeast Europe. In an attempt to justify his decision Premier Borissov made some statements which caused bewilderment. Premier Borissov said that the name of the Bulgarian nominee is not of great significance, because the USA and Russia had to sit down and decide on the name of the next UN Secretary General. However, many people wonder why Bulgaria nominated Bokova initially and then changed its nominee and did Bulgaria take that decision independently? Borissov's reminder that Bokova descends from a communist family was also inappropriate. Her origin did not deter her from becoming UNESCO Director General. Some opponents of the current government note that Kristalina Georgieva and GERB's Presidential nominee Tsetska Tsacheva can be also associated with the communist period.

It turned out that everyone in Bulgaria lost from the latest competition for new UN Secretary General. Irina Bokova was humiliated with personal attacks coming from her native country. Kristalina Georgieva, who agreed to become Bulgaria's new nominee for the UN top job, was also subject to strong criticism and was asked to resign from her position in the European Commission. The outcome boosted the level of criticism towards the ruling coalition and the Bulgarian citizens feel insulted from the whole situation. At least no one doubted the skills and the qualities of the newly-appointed UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov