The two big suprises from the weekend's elections were the relatively poor showing from the socialists and the unexpected triumph of the absolutely, incredibly, non-negotiably nationalistic and fascist group "Ataka" ("Attack," or "Oh, so it is," if you want to make a silly, meaningless joke). If you want to know why Ataka did so well, you only need to ask the local mafia, who voted for, broke kneecaps for, and generally supported Ataka not because fascism and organized crime go together (I'd imagine its the opposite), but because Ataka is for things like requiring all non-Bulgarians to change their last name if said names end in "-ov" or "-ova," reducing the rights of the nation's gypsy population, and removing Turks in general.
The mafia, you see, is powerful and also intensely nationalistic and racist. If you make your living breaking kneecaps and the heads of journalists, I suppose you'd have to be. Local mafia here in Silistra name their cars Himmler and Georing (sp? Sorry, too lazy to look it up) and will explain vast bits of their ideology if they think you'll listen. Their local support has been to kick around people who take down or tag-up Ataka's posters. And the support of the more powerful and thick-necked Bulgarians gave one of the more nationalistic parties since Hitler's 8% of the vote and twenty seats in parliament.
On the bright side of things, the 30% of votes secured by the socialists means that they'll have to ally with at least one other major centrist party to gain a majority in the house. Chances are that will mean siding with the old prime minister's party, which took in 20% of the vote. That may mean that the socialists won't get a chance to follow through on their plans for immediate withdrawal of Bulgarian troops from Iraq. And since no one will listen to the Ataka crackpots in parliament (the CW is that they're safer there than at large), it will probably mean a steady course for Bulgaria. And I can't really say that a steady course would be much worse than rash reforms. Wouldn't want to scare Europe before the accession, which may be delayed as it is.
Posted by Rob at June 27, 2005 09:52 PM