Five months after taking office, the “grand coalition” of Bulgaria’s former sworn political enemies has made substantial progress in realigning the Balkan nation with the EU mainstream and limiting the Russian influence.
When the current Bulgarian government was formed in June, there was a good chance that it would represent only a brief interruption in the political instability that has plagued the country after five consecutive inconclusive general elections and four caretaker governments in the space of two years.
After all, it was formed by former rivals – the liberal We Pursue Change – Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB) and the center-right GERB-SDS party which had dominated the country’s political landscape under its parish leader and former Prime Minister. Minister Boyko Borissov.
Common foreign policy goals trump mistrust
The first group, led by Western-educated liberals, wanted sweeping reforms that would firmly integrate the Balkan country into the Western fold, combat notorious corruption and improve governance. The second represented the “traditional” politics of the country, marked by the links between politics, business and organized crime.
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