site.btaUPDATED Bulgaria’s Democratic Community Discusses Rules for Joint Presidential Candidate Nomination ahead of 2026 Elections

Bulgaria’s opposition democratic forces held a roundtable Monday to discuss rules for a joint presidential nomination ahead of the 2026 elections. Attending were representatives of Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB), Yes, Bulgaria and Continue the Change and the forum was held on the initiative of DSB.

"The democratic community in Bulgaria needs to nominate a single candidate to win the presidential elections in 2026," said DSB leader Atanas Atanassov.

“We are gathering on an important political occasion - the upcoming presidential elections. The democratic community is obliged to the Bulgarian society and we have to come up with a final result,” he said on Monday at the opening of a round table in Sofia about the presidential elections in 2026 organized by Democratic Bulgaria.

Atanassov noted that the democratic community has long been divided by different interests and now it is time to come together and start preparing for next year's presidential elections.

In his words, the democratic forces should decide together who to nominate, but before that it should be determined how to reach this choice. Some propose preliminary elections, others - negotiations for a unifying candidacy, the DSB leader pointed out. “How to reach this result is our common task, I hope we will be active, Atanassov insisted.”

Bozhidar Bozhanov, co-chair of Yes, Bulgaria, which is part of the DB coalition, said that Bulgaria needs a strong pro-European candidate because, in recent years, the presidential institution has sent messages in the opposite direction. According to him, political parties will contribute to this joint effort to achieve such a candidacy and success. “It is a fact that political parties are only part of this equation; the other part must be the citizens, public figures, everyone who can provide the necessary momentum to achieve the remaining goals needed to electorally win this victory. That is why we are here today - to hear what you have to say, what your concerns are, your ideas, so that we can outline a common strategy for success,” Bozhanov added.

Kiril Petkov, co-chair of Continue the Change, emphasized the need to choose a presidential candidate who represents all free Bulgarians committed to a pro-European Bulgaria and fighting corruption. He stressed that the democratic community must unite not just to please their core supporters but to secure a decisive victory in the 2026 presidential elections. "We don't go into this just to report good results," he said. He highlighted the importance of reaching beyond traditional bases to engage a broad spectrum of voters across the political center-right and center-left. He called for a candidate who will oppose corruption and entrenched political models, aiming to restore trust and advance Bulgaria’s European path. Petkov expressed confidence that by working together, the democratic community can achieve a real win in 2026.

Ivan Kostov, a former Prime Minister and ex-leader of the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) and then DSB, argued that the joint presidential candidate should be a political figure supported by parties and coalitions, rather than an independent. He emphasized that the nomination must come with the full backing and resources of these political groups. Kostov warned that the greatest risk in the upcoming presidential elections is the possibility of pro-Putin forces winning again, which would be a severe blow to Bulgaria’s political life and democratic debate. Kostov also believes that the first step should be to attempt to nominate a single presidential candidate based on broad consensus. If the party leaders fail to reach such an agreement, then primary elections should be held to let the voters decide. He emphasized the need to expand the democratic space as much as possible by involving other political formations outside Parliament, as well as civic organizations.