Podcast in English
Text size
Bulgarian National Radio © 2024 All Rights Reserved

Elections 2023

Ventsislav Georgiev, Las Vegas: Corruption is the killer of any ‎development in Bulgaria

Simeon Angelov: Whichever party comes to power, the life of the ‎average Bulgarian does not change

Photo: Maria Samichkova

‎"I have seen the greatest turnout here in the parliamentary elections on ‎April 4, 2021, when nearly 800 Bulgarians voted. Again, this is not a ‎particularly high turnout, given the number of Bulgarian emigrants in ‎Vegas - over 7 thousand, i.e. about 10%. With every next election, the ‎desire to vote decreases," says Ventsislav Georgiev, a member of the election ‎commission, which processes the documents in the Bulgarian bistro ‎where the election in Las Vegas took place, talking to Radio Bulgaria’s ‎collaborator across the ocean, Maria Samichkova.‎


‎"From the Bulgarian politicians, I expect a clear position of Bulgaria ‎regarding the conflict between Russia and the Western world. This is ‎clearly a clash between two value systems, and I would like to know ‎what the exact position will be on this issue, as Bulgaria may be involved ‎in a rather difficult situation regarding the war in Ukraine. 

On the other ‎hand, the fight against corruption is one of the biggest scourges ‎for Bulgarian economy and for the people who live in Bulgaria. We ‎don't feel it here, but when you go to the country, you always face these ‎problems," says our compatriot, who has lived far from his homeland for ‎nearly a quarter of a century. He admits that nostalgia is starting to grow ‎and dreams of being able to return.‎


Simeon Angelov has also been living in the USA for more than two ‎decades. His relatives are in Bulgaria and he votes every time with the ‎hope of changes, because "whichever party comes to power, the life ‎of the average Bulgarian does not change". Will he return to Bulgaria ‎one day?‎

‎"As the father of a family, I would say that if things change one day for ‎the Bulgarian people - yes", our compatriot categorically told Maria ‎Samichkova and Radio Bulgaria.‎


On the territory of the United States, voting was held in 56 polling ‎stations, and the Bulgarian ambassador, Georgi Panayotov, called on ‎the Bulgarians in America to action: "Democracy is based on voter ‎turnout, and I call on all Bulgarian citizens to exercise their right to vote, ‎because in this way their voice will matter. If they don't go vote, they ‎won't be heard." ‎

Compiled by Elena Karkalanova (based on a report by Maria Samichkova)
Photos: Maria Samichkova


Translated and published by Rositsa Petkova


Последвайте ни и в Google News Showcase, за да научите най-важното от деня!
Listen to the daily news from Bulgaria presented in "Bulgaria Today" podcast, available in Spotify.

More from category

Solar spectacle observed at the Slavey Zlatev Astronomical Observatory in Kardzhali

The Slavey Zlatev Astronomical Observatory with Planetarium in Kardzhali is offering free admission on the occasion of the town's holiday-October 21. If weather permits, visitors can observe the Sun and solar spots, explained the director of the..

published on 10/19/24 7:10 AM

Number of people in North Macedonia who declared themselves Bulgarians is much higher than official figures suggest

Some say with irony that people in North Macedonia usually acquire Bulgarian citizenship for self-serving purposes. In the last official census in the neighbouring country just 3504 people were registered as Bulgarians. However,..

published on 10/18/24 4:42 PM

Balkan developments

Greece receives the fourth tranche of almost 1 billion euros under EU Recovery and Resilience Plan The European Commission paid Greece the fourth tranche under the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RSP) worth 998.6 million euros. This was..

published on 10/18/24 2:05 PM