Bulgaria's Top 3 President Runners Engage in TV Debate Bickering

From left to right: Ivaylo Kalfin, Rosen Plevneliev, and Meglena Kuneva. Photo by Dnevnik.bg

The three top contenders for the Bulgarian presidential office and their running mates faced each other for the first time Saturday evening in a live TV debate aired by the largest private TV channel bTV.

The debate came one week ahead of the October 23 presidential and local elections.

The main topics of discussion and arguments revolved around the economic crisis, the social role of the president, corruption, campaign financing, and partnership and relations of the future president with the executive power.

The face-off included Bulgaria's former Minister of Regional Development and Public Works, Rosen Plevneliev, who, according to polls is the top contender for the post. Plevneliev, nominated by the ruling center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria, GERB, party, was accompanied by his running mate – Justice Minister on leave, Margarita Popova.

The other presidential hopefuls, who took part in the debate, included the candidate of the left-wing Bulgarian Socialist party, BSP, Ivaylo Kalfin, who is a former Foreign Affairs Minister in the Socialist-led Three-Way Coalition cabinet and a current Member of the European Parliament, and his running mate, former Culture Minister from the BSP quota and movie star, Stefan Danailov.

The third couple was represented by the first and now-former Bulgarian EU Commissioner and independent presidential candidate, formerly from the party of ex King and Prime Minister, Simeon Saxe-Coburg, National Movement for Stability and Prosperity, NMSP, Meglena Kuneva, and her nomination for vice president – Lyubomir Hristov.

The discussions were marred by verbal attacks, mutual accusations about past and current failures and veering of the questions to other topics.

In the second part of the debate the candidates for vice presidents were asked to leave and Plevneliev, Kalfin and Kuneva deliberated alone.

In the first part, Popova was very vocal while Plevneliev struck as being harsher in his reactions and as having lost the smile he is known for. The sparks flared mostly between the GERB nominations against the other two, while there were no major clashes between Kuneva/Hristov and Kalfin/Danailov.

The Justice Minister voiced strong criticism to candidates for launching attacks on institutions and warned them such attitude can trigger unpleasant surprises for them with results from polling agencies.

Kalfin was outraged by the bTV decision to use the Market Links polling agency for reporting on public opinion during the debate over the fact the company is the former employer of Rumyana Bachvarova, now Chief of Staff of the cabinet of Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov.

Regarding the economic crisis, Plevneliev stated that such situation calls for investments, not spending, and reiterated that funding for highway construction does not come from money for retirement pensions as Kalfin has claimed for a while now.

Lyubomir Hristov commented that the country cannot successfully deal with the recession when the right diagnosis is missing, adding the reason for the troubles stems from the real estate balloon and staggering debts of common Bulgarians. Kuneva backed him and declared that to be a "social president was not her cup of tea," but promised to work on social policies if elected in office.

Right before the vice presidential candidates had to leave the studio, Danailov voiced outrage by the decision to send him and the others away and told the hosts that he "had not been in such strange position in the last 40 years."

"Why didn't you simply invite the presidential candidates and let us walk around and watch from the sidelines?" he said. At this point, Kuneva pointed out she and Hristov had no complaints to which the movie star replied: "You are iron people and heroes," and furiously left the studio.

Danailov appeared irked the entire time, obviously over the bickering, and even went as far as telling his running mate Kalfin to not say anything in order to not stir a new mess.

When the candidates were asked to give examples of emblematic corruption cases in Bulgaria, Plevneliev noted the contract for the construction of Trakiya highway signed by NMSP during their term in office that would doom Bulgarian taxpayers to a price of BGN 6 B; Kalfin pointed out as example bureaucracy at State institutions while Kuneva stressed on the scandal with the appointment of Vladimira Yaneva, who is known to be a close friend of Interior Minister, Tsvetan Tsvetanov, as Chair of the Sofia City Court.

On the subject of financing, Kalfin revealed his campaign cost about BGN 1 M, which came from a loan to be repaid in the future by State subsidies; Kuneva said her campaign amounted to BGN 280 000; according to Plevneliev, the GERB campaign was "modest" and far below the BGN 2 M threshold, allowed by the law.

Kuneva declared she had strong doubts about Plevneliev's ability to become a president who would be independent from Borisov and the Speaker of the Parliament, Tsetska Tsacheva, which the former Regional Minister countered by saying he was the most independent member of the cabinet Borisov and reminded that he had never been a GERB member.

On his part, Plevneliev asked the ex EU Commissioner if she was counting on endorsement from the ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms, DPS, prompting her to reiterate she is independent and has no agreements with political parties.

In the third round, the contenders had to give flash answers to questions such as "pastries or bread," "hunting or football," and "I want or I can," which made it clear that all three prefer bread and football and all three "can."

Viewers learned that during the campaign Kalfin and Plevneliev lost weight while the only woman among the candidate never uses a scale. All three also knew the price of their favorite brand of bread.

It became clear that if elected in office Plevneliev would not use the State residence in the Sofia suburb of Boyana, and will live in his own house with his family.

The future of the she-wolf, raised by Bulgaria's outgoing President, Georgi Parvanov, in the "Kalina" villa in Sofia's Boyana suburb, also entered the debate with the GERB candidate stating that the Parvanov family must take care of her. He was backed by Kalfin while Kuneva explained she would turn to eco-activists for advice, but believed the wolf must be returned to her natural environment.

At the end of the debate the polling results were announced as 33.8% for the winner, and the very close 18.3% and 18% for the second and third place. The names behind these percentages are going to be announced Sunday, during the bTV evening newscast.

In the final statement Plevneliev appealed to all to vote for change; Kalfin said the elections would be decisive in countering an authoritarian regime by a State of strong institutions, while Kuneva declared she "wanted a Bulgaria where poor and rich would be united.

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!