Host (Lora Indzhova): We are stepping onto the political field now, and in the next few minutes, we will walk through it with PR expert Maxim Behar and Assoc. Prof. Evelina Hristova is also a PR expert and lecturer. Hello and welcome!

Maxim Behar: Good day!

Host: We started talking before discussing what we see happening in our dear country. We have earthquakes in the judiciary, and some monstrous things are being said. A temporary committee in Parliament wants to investigate in its own way. However, it is not an investigative body, but to trace the connections and networks and to reach something more, including names. Hearings are pending for the former chief prosecutor; the deputies and the current temporary one will make such a request. Politicians seem not to comment so actively on this topic. At the same time, we comment on the rotation topic daily through the statements of the political leaders about what is currently under suspicion with this rotation. What do we see? Welcome.

Maxim: What we see is a broken phone. Everyone speaks their mind from the screen. Everyone shares some opinions, and everyone frowns. There is no smiling person among those we see around the clock on the news, social media, and wherever else. However, I think three myths in Bulgarian politics need to be debunked. The first myth is that there is some coalition. In my opinion, there is no coalition; there is fear that the president will not return to power, which is okay with me. He has founded this fear, but there cannot be a coalition between people who do not see each other and people who do not have, or at least I have not heard one opinion consistent on an extensive series of important issues.

The second myth is that rotation matters. In my opinion, it does not matter. The same ministers will remain; they will manage the same people. Whether they meet or talk through television screens... if they have some financial, political, or strategic strategies, they will achieve them. And the third myth is that something depends on the deputies or the party members. Nothing turns on them. It depends solely and exclusively on those sitting beside each other and talking to President Zelensky. We saw the dear picture. This means that they have some agreement, which is why I am surprised that each speaks through television and social media. And these messages are so divergent that they do not meet anywhere with each other.

Host: I want to draw on your expertise precisely in the PR sphere. "Broken telephone," Mr. Behar said. We listed the assumptions to observe something similar. However, can we reason for a lack of PR strategy to reach this broken telephone? If this discourse, these processes are handled by some PR strategy by people whose job it is, as we often hear the name Nayot Titzin, a former journalist who crossed the threshold and entered the PR sphere. Currently, it's PR for PP/DB or Kiril Petkov. I don't know what the distribution is. If better communication existed, even within them, would the picture look different?

Maxim: Not only is there no PR strategy, but there is also no political vision either. No political plan needs to be followed, except, as I said, the fear of the president not returning and starting to govern alone. There's also another thing—foreign policy. There is indeed some consensus or at least some direction. But what I heard yesterday with... dear Nayot and quoting even more beloved Kiril Petkov was a classic case, which someone may mention in a dissertation one day. Here, Evelina knows better. Where Nayot told Kiril Petkov to say something to Borisov... what kind of strategy are we talking about? Everything we observe is super infantile; I wouldn't even say elementary. It seems to me that the fact that these people don't talk to each other is the biggest drama. They don't sit down to have a rakia or a glass of good wine; they don't sit down to play backgammon or talk about whatever they want. But to have personal relationships. You can't be in politics, even with your opponent or your adversary, without having some personal relationships and being unable to talk to him and use the media. I return to this question: there is no strategy at all. From what I see, and what is even more worrying, there is no unified political vision, so there can be a calm political environment in Bulgaria or something predictable.

Host: And yet, do you believe that rotation is threatened? What politicians are telling us now is, to some extent, actual in terms of feelings and relationships, but it's a facade because nobody wants elections.

Maxim: If someone doesn't keep their word, this will not be the first or the last case in Bulgarian politics. We know thousands of such cases. I think some rotation will undoubtedly happen. The documents clearly and precisely state that Maria Gabriel will become Prime Minister and Acad. Denkov will become Minister of Education.

Host: And Deputy Prime Minister.

Maxim: And Deputy Prime Minister, yes. These two things are written down and will probably be adhered to. It's a bit of a puzzle for me why there is this struggle. In my opinion, it's a facade for the Foreign Ministry. Still, maybe there is some sense to it because Bulgaria is a small country, and it depends a lot on the international stage, moreover, as a member of the European Union, NATO, and many organizations. We have two wars, and they are very fierce, right up to our border. Unsurprisingly, someone wants their voice heard a little louder outside Bulgaria. But what happens here is very important. Whether the door will open for investments, whether there will be a calm political environment, predictable, whether Bulgaria will make... I return to my favorite topic, a perfect campaign to brand our country as a place for investments, not just as beaches and cheap alcohol tourism. These things are much more critical, and it's a significant pain for me that nothing has been done in this direction in the last 7-8 months. To such an extent, the washing of Bulgaria's image abroad is delayed. I hope this will happen after the so-called infamous rotation.

Host: Let's see!

Maxim: The Denkov-Gabriel tandem is one of the best things Bulgaria has seen in the last 30 years. And I hope their intelligent and calm tone, understanding, and smiles will be preserved for as long as possible.

Host: Thank you very much for this conversation! We will expect you again, so expect an invitation from us.

 

You can find the full interview here.