site.btaPresident Calls on People to Vote but Also Think about Day after Elections When "We Will Live and Work Together"

In an address to the nation regarding the April 19 early parliamentary elections, President Iliana Iotova said: "Let us vote, but let us also think about the day after the elections, when we will live and work together." She added that once the political intrigue has died down, the urgent problems facing the country will have to be addressed.

A few months ago, thousands of Bulgarians took to the streets in protest, demanding the State back, the President recalled. The protests showed that no authority is stronger than the citizens, she added.

"We need a functioning National Assembly as soon as possible, a government with the capacity to act and strong public support," she went on to say. She called for a state budget “as soon as possible” and described the upcoming elections as important and decisive. They will determine Bulgaria’s path from here on out, the head of State said.

"Let us secure Bulgaria’s future with income, the economy, education, and culture," the President urged. According to her, citizens must vote because after election day, there will be a need for strong people and leaders. "We will need a strong foreign policy - one that is European, predictable for our international partners, but also in the interest of Bulgarian citizens," she argued.

The President noted that these will be the eighth elections in the last five years. "There was no shortage of attempts by politicians and parties to sway us, to convince us that elections are pointless every time, that nothing will change, and that everything will go on as usual after the elections - but we voted because we care about how we live, how we will live, and what kind of country we will leave to our children," said Iotova.

According to her, it is difficult to hold elections in the spring of 2026. Added to the still-unresolved problems from the introduction of the euro and soaring prices are fears of the conflict in the Middle East and its consequences, Iotova noted. She added that the war in Ukraine has been going on for four years now. In the words of the head of State, global conflicts have entered our homes, and anxiety about the future is understandable.

Iotova noted that it is normal to wonder whether anything can be changed. "Once again, the threat of vote-buying tells us: 'Yes, you vote, but we will cobble something together, and a stable government is unlikely.' However, there is another path - the path of the vote," she argued.

She noted that voting is an act of belonging to the nation, of responsibility, and of ambition for a prosperous Bulgaria. According to her, this also means freedom, a demand for legitimate institutions, and a State with authority. "Every single vote could prove decisive in closing the poisonous wound of vote-buying," Iotova added.

"I value my vote. I am sure you value yours as well. Its value is exceptionally high and impervious to any external influences or interests, because we, Bulgarians, take pride in the fact that we hold elections here, in our country - Bulgarian elections for Bulgarian politicians. My vote is my identity - it cannot be delegated to anyone,” the President added.