Did Prof. Anastas Gerdjikov have a chance in the presidential election? In the utopian state of Aristotle, in which the polis is a natural community, more important even than the family, which in turn is more important than the individual – for sure. That’s why “really united” was the ideal slogan for the professor. In the Bulgarian state, which suffered 30 years of transition, in which division and hatred prevailed – hardly. Moreover, at the moment old and new, honest and dishonest, good and bad do not want to hear about unification. And he, the brilliant scientist, became the face of the party that ruled for 12 years under the motto “I am simple and you are simple, so we understand each other.”
There are five reasons why Prof. Anastas Gerdjikov lost the elections. And each of them was forewarned.
1. Candidate of GERB, although without drawers
The doom of the Gerdjikov-Miteva couple began from the moment the two agreed to be the face of GERB, when the front against Borisov’s party was tightly delineated from the extreme left to the extreme right. Although set up by an Initiative Committee, for 30 days they piled up all the negatives of the former ruling party. From the drawers of Boyko Borisov to the tours in Sofia with Mladen Marinov, whom Radev, BSP and the so-called change parties linked police violence to protests last year. I don’t have drawers, you sew me to other people for 30 days, was Gerdjikov’s main thesis. But it was not enough to provide him with votes in a society where 99.9% of the lockers are empty.
2. The intelligentsia liked the professor, but Borisov frightened her
The first round clearly showed that Prof. Gerdjikov has a periphery – from the student community to the intelligentsia. At least because of his courage to stand up to established politicians without himself having an hour of political experience. But against the background of his smile and his positive messages, Boyko Borissov did his best to make his choice impossible. The more Gerdjikov distanced himself from GERB in the campaign, the more the GERB leader came to the fore – shy and angry to insult Radev and praise the professor. The forecasts of the sociologists, who competed to predict a victory with a lot for GERB in the parliamentary vote, did him a disservice. People were afraid that model Borisov was resurrected before their eyes and went out to vote against him. Borissov’s final agitation against Radev on the day of the runoff, made in violation of the law, further added fuel to the fire of change.
3. Master of academic controversy, but far from people
The first and only TV debate played a bad joke on Prof. Anastas Gerdjikov. Boiling and boiling in academic debates, he showed that he mastered rhetoric. Following the advice of one of the smartest people of his time, Arthur Schopenhauer, a master of controversy, Gerdjikov managed to score points – Radev confused, countered with questions, several times took the lead. That’s why he enjoyed departmental applause for 24 hours that he won. But in the eyes of the people, he stayed away from the discontent of the squares and close to the GERB brotherhood. He named the problems of business and doctors, but did not condemn the vices of the old government. And he never managed to speak as a statesman. And when he did not answer Radev’s questions about how he would unite the mafia with the victims of the mafia and the beaten students with the other young people he trains, he lost the lead he gained at the beginning of the debate.
4. Geopolitical turn in 12 without 5
I grew up with Dostoevsky, I read it at 12, it is not enough to convince the Russophiles in Bulgaria that Gerdjikov is their man. The addition “but Bulgaria is a member of the EU and NATO and therefore defends the position that Crimea is Ukrainian”, withdrew in 12 without 5 all the voters of the professor, for whom “Euro-Atlantic values” have long been a worn-out cliché. And instead of painting his eyebrows, he took out his eyes with the question: Whose is Crimea, Mr. Radev? No matter how much the scandal with Ukraine, Europe and the United States flared up, Radev won much more than the line “Crimea is Russian, whatever it is.” Because she went with the clear thesis “our relations with Russia must be pragmatic.” Consciously or not, Gerdjikov took on the role of a hawk, and Radev remained in people’s minds as the incomprehensible politician with whom Putin took a picture and Biden sent greetings to him.
5. New candidate, but far from change
One thing has determined the election of a president in Bulgaria for a long time. And it is to imagine how the candidate for head of state accepts the parade on St. George’s Day. According to this criterion, there is no one to beat Radev. I have not lost a man, I know how to get off the clouds, the general announced. And in the sublime moment he showed that he has a clear flight plan, which he follows unmistakably. As the professor emotionally put his hand on his heart, “Tell me where I went wrong, point out what you’re blaming me for.”
In fact, the main reason why people did not recognize Gerdjikov was that he used many words and still complex, but did not say one – simple. Change. Although a new candidate, he remained part of the old days. What no one wants. Whether and how he will return to Sofia University, the decision is his and his colleagues’. But he knows best that, unlike political circles, academics are conservative. And do not allow adventures. Especially party. Then it obliges!
Tags:
– .
