It occurs to me that, with 25 countries plus accession states plus strategically important nearby states we'll be kept busy just keeping track of elections around here.
Listening to Attack's leader list the problems that the people face on a daily basis, it's easy to be sympathetic. He talks about poverty, about pensioners going through garbage cans for food, about cancer patients who have difficulty getting medicines and a larger failing health system, corruption in the political classes, and other problems. He points out the problems and is not afraid to do so. I can agree with him on many of the points that he makes...its on the causes and the solutions that he gets scary.
The other parties just talk around these problems. The center right parties show the same old faces and sound as if they are stuck in 1992 fighting the old communists and as if markets will solve every problem. The socialists still aren't being responsive and democractic and transparent. All parties seem more concerned with whom they will/will not form election coalitions than with solving problems...maybe it's that the parties seem to view creating a coalition as THE only problem.
The slippage from the Socialist electorate to Attack was by socialist voters in non-Turkish areas who are a little angry/distrusting of the MRF's leader, Ahmed Dogan. Dogan is seen as slippery and willing to do any deal to stay in power. That hasn't gone down well with many Bulgarians.
Anyone here speak Shqip?
Pax Night and day you can find me Flogging the Simian
