I'll Huff and I'll Puff and I'll Blow Your Palace Down

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

What will happen to the wolf at Bulgaria's presidential palace?

European Voice

Bulgarians go to the polls on 23 October to choose a president. The candidate of the governing centre-right is Rosen Plevneliev, a former minister for regional development. The center-left is putting up Ivaylo Kalfin, a former foreign minister, now a member of the European Parliament. The candidate of the liberal National Movement for Stability and Prosperity is Meglena Kuneva, a former European commissioner for consumer policy.

EU issues have, however, hardly featured in the campaign. Local topics – sometimes very local – have got greater attention. In a television debate on Saturday, Plevneliev said he would not use the presidential villa in Sofia but would continue to live in his family house. This prompted an exchange about what would happen to the wolf that the current president, Georgi Parvanov, keeps in the grounds of the villa. Kalfin said that Parnavov would have to take care of the animal. Kuneva, schooled in the consensus-seeking ways of the Commission, pledged to consult with environmental activists before returning the animal to its natural habitat.

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