(Bloomberg) — A late-night talk-show host and performer of the Balkan analog of gangster rap is itching to end the run of one of Europe’s longest-serving leaders in a Bulgarian election do-over.
Stanislav Trifonov, a pop-folk singer known as “Slavi,” has been railing against inequality and corruption even before Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007. He’s tapping into discontent among voters fed up with the bloc’s lowest living standards and endless scandals among the elite.
Pledging to wipe out a “mafia model” he says gives oligarchs with ties to organized crime sway over politics, his anti-establishment There Is Such a People party won more support than expected in an initial ballot in April.
That blocked the Gerb party of then-Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, who first took power in 2009, from a fourth term. But it resulted in a hung parliament, triggering a re-run that takes place Sunday with the two front-runners neck and neck.
“What Gerb has done is unimaginable, unacceptable,” Trifonov, who’s been compared to other entertainers-turned-politicians, such as former comedians Beppe Grillo, the leader of Italy’s anti-establishment Five Star Movement, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, said in May. “It should be scratched out.”
Transparency International has ranked the country last in the EU for most of the past decade in its Corruption Perception Index. Bulgaria, the bloc’s poorest member with living standards of about half of the EU average, has also drawn criticism for failing to uphold the rule of law and has been kept out of the passport-free travel Schengen zone.
Trifonov, 54, and Borissov, 62, both grew up poor, rising to prominence during a transition from communism that brought hyperinflation, bank runs, poverty, bloody gang wars and nationwide protests.
Read More:
Corruption and Protests Can’t Shake Tough Man’s Grip on Bulgaria
Europe’s Graft Trouble Spot Sinks Into Crisis at Worst Time
Fugitive Tycoon Seeks Road to Power in Most Corrupt EU State
Bulgaria Blocks Balkan Neighbor’s Path to Joining EU
They both started outside politics: Borissov as a bodyguard for Bulgaria’s last communist dictator and Trifonov as a crooner who filled stadiums from London to Los Angeles. With shaved heads and black leather jackets, both embraced the tough-guy image.
Borissov bolstered that perception as a hard-talking policeman and mayor of the capital, Sofia. Trifonov, meanwhile, helped popularize the “chalga” music style that melds Balkan folk with pop, It became popular in the 1990s for lyrics depicting life on the streets but was also derided for glorifying crime, chauvinism and flashy wealth.
As Borissov’s political rise continued, Trifonov went on to host Bulgaria’s most-popular late-night talk show, where guests included Mikhail Gorbachev. He now runs his own channel, whose programs have flirted with anti-immigrant positions, anti-vaccination theories and conspiracies.
In his hit “There Is No Such State,” whose title inspired his party’s name, Trifonov sings: “Aren’t you tired of living so poorly? How long will we stay quiet?”
Borissov, dogged by scandals and criticized for failing to improve Bulgaria’s record on corruption, was replaced in April after other parties refused to join a new coalition government. The interim administration that took charge has struggled to roll out immunizations — just 12% of the population is fully vaccinated, the least in the EU — and demand for shots has evaporated. Gerb has since lost support.
Both Borissov and Trifonov say they favor deepening ties with the EU, though each has signaled resistance to the bloc’s efforts to open membership talks with neighboring North Macedonia, citing long-standing historical disputes.
Borissov wants Bulgaria to adopt the euro by 2024. Trifonov wants the currency too, but his adviser Toshko Yordanov, deputy chairman of There Is Such a People, warns against any “premature” move. “The euro zone is great for rich countries,” he said. “Bulgaria isn’t a rich country.”
Borissov hasn’t specified whether he’ll demand the prime minister’s job if his party triumphs or who he’d favor as coalition partners. Trifonov, who isn’t running for parliament himself, has said it’s not his goal to become premier. He’s potentially better placed to form a ruling coalition. His most-likely allies include two anti-corruption parties, though the three together may struggle to clinch a majority in parliament.
All mainstream parties refuse to work with Gerb, creating an enormous hurdle for Borissov to clinch a new term. But Gerb Deputy Chairman Tomislav Donchev isn’t ruling anything out.
“That’s the natural political model — the leader of the political party that won the election is nominated for prime minister,” Donchev said in June. But “it all depends on a number of factors.”
OTTAWA – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says the NDP is caving to political pressure from Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre when it comes to their stance on the consumer carbon price.
Trudeau says he believes Jagmeet Singh and the NDP care about the environment, but it’s “increasingly obvious” that they have “no idea” what to do about climate change.
On Thursday, Singh said the NDP is working on a plan that wouldn’t put the burden of fighting climate change on the backs of workers, but wouldn’t say if that plan would include a consumer carbon price.
Singh’s noncommittal position comes as the NDP tries to frame itself as a credible alternative to the Conservatives in the next federal election.
Poilievre responded to that by releasing a video, pointing out that the NDP has voted time and again in favour of the Liberals’ carbon price.
British Columbia Premier David Eby also changed his tune on Thursday, promising that a re-elected NDP government would scrap the long-standing carbon tax and shift the burden to “big polluters,” if the federal government dropped its requirements.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
Simon Jolin-Barrette, minister responsible for consumer protection, has tabled a bill to force merchants to calculate tips based on the price before tax.
That means on a restaurant bill of $100, suggested tips would be calculated based on $100, not on $114.98 after provincial and federal sales taxes are added.
The bill would also increase the rebate offered to consumers when the price of an item at the cash register is higher than the shelf price, to $15 from $10.
And it would force grocery stores offering a discounted price for several items to clearly list the unit price as well.
Businesses would also have to indicate whether taxes will be added to the price of food products.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
Quebec legislature member Youri Chassin has announced he’s leaving the Coalition Avenir Québec government to sit as an Independent.
He announced the decision shortly after writing an open letter criticizing Premier François Legault’s government for abandoning its principles of smaller government.
In the letter published in Le Journal de Montréal and Le Journal de Québec, Chassin accused the party of falling back on what he called the old formula of throwing money at problems instead of looking to do things differently.
Chassin says public services are more fragile than ever, despite rising spending that pushed the province to a record $11-billion deficit projected in the last budget.
He is the second CAQ member to leave the party in a little more than one week, after economy and energy minister Pierre Fitzgibbon announced Sept. 4 he would leave because he lost motivation to do his job.
Chassin says he has no intention of joining another party and will instead sit as an Independent until the end of his term.
He has represented the Saint-Jérôme riding since the CAQ rose to power in 2018, but has not served in cabinet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
