"The last day in Parliament for our elected representatives. A month-long vacation ahead — hats off to them. They did what they did," the host joked at the beginning of the segment, setting the tone for a conversation on the political season, social division, and Bulgaria’s path forward. Guests included PR experts Iva Ekimova and Maxim Behar.

Asked how they would spin the Parliament’s performance positively if they were tasked with doing PR for all 240 MPs, Behar replied:
“They did a great job. They kept a regular government in place — that alone is a huge achievement for Bulgaria.”

He emphasized the importance of acknowledging the government’s efforts in areas like the eurozone, foreign policy, and Bulgaria’s stance on the war in Ukraine. Even the MPs’ summer recess, in his view, has its upsides:
“We won’t have hatred, arguments, and scandals pouring into our living rooms every evening from the TV screen.”

Still, Behar was clear that arguments in Parliament aren’t the real issue.
“Debates in Parliament are not a drama. The real drama is that Bulgarian parliaments haven’t been producing laws for a long time.”

Looking ahead, he envisioned a future where politicians are held accountable not just in words, but through technology:
“If a politician makes a promise and doesn’t deliver, the ministry’s system simply won’t accept their access card.”

Commenting on the often contradictory messages from different political figures, especially around topics like the euro, Behar noted that we live in a complex, colorful world where differences are natural — but the lack of expertise in politics remains a concern:
“Most people who go into politics are those who can’t really do anything else.”

He argued that popularity today is no longer built on ideas, but on social media presence and appearance. This, he warned, threatens democracy, as voters end up choosing faces with no real substance:
“We can’t elect people whose only skill is talking well — and some can’t even do that.”

Addressing societal division and a recent case involving a state-run children’s home in Varna, Behar recalled his long-standing work in the NGO sector, particularly with child-focused causes. Closing such institutions had been one of his priorities for years:
“Bulgaria is tangled in all sorts of problems. It’s not just corruption or crime — it’s everything.”

For him, the solution starts with personal example and meaningful dialogue between institutions:
“I hope this summer the president and the prime minister will actually talk to each other — personally. That would send a very positive message to the public.”

Behar ended on a hopeful note about the political autumn ahead:
“Bulgaria has changed beyond recognition over the past 30 years. People are different. Technology is different. We live better. We complain more — which is fine. We want more — which is even better.”

He concluded with an idea that goes beyond a dream and leans toward a call for action:
“I expect around a hundred people from the business world to unite and form a real, serious business-political party that enters Parliament and actually does good things for the country.”

The conversation with Maxim Behar highlighted the urgent need for clear vision, accountability, and dialogue in Bulgarian politics. In a rapidly digitizing world where authority is earned through presence, not just position, political actors must evolve — and so must society. In Behar’s view, Bulgaria is already on a different level — and only constructive thinking will take it even further.

 

Watch the full interview here.