"I would hardly say anything different from what all Bulgarians around the world hope will happen after this election. First and foremost we wish that it will be the last one, i.e. that it will lead to a stable government and put an end to this vicious circle of one election after another," Filli Ladgman , executive director of the Bulgarian section of the Australian public radio SBS, which has a 46-year history and a large audience on the continent, told Radio Bulgaria. The journalist commented on the election fatigue among Bulgarians. "We vote 5 times in two years. This is getting the country and its people nowhere. It creates a deadlock and a sense of hopelessness." According to her, the situation the day after the vote was absolutely unpredictable:

"It's hard to predict what's happening right now. Either way, things are in a limbo - we don't know what direction our ship of state will be heading. And this is very critical because the turn that will be made will determine where Bulgaria will go. It is not only a question of stability in terms of our economy, but also stability in political and geopolitical terms."

One of the main topics in this election campaign was Bulgaria's Euro-Atlantic position in the conditions of a raging military conflict. Debates about European solidarity, whether we should support Ukraine with arms and who is to blame for the war have heated up passions to the limit, becoming yet another reason for division in society. What position will the new government take? "We know that there is a very high probability that the country will turn to Russia again. But it could just as well remain an absolutely loyal and active member of the EU. It is very difficult to predict where Bulgaria will turn after yesterday's election," says Filli Ladgman .

What are her expectations after the vote?

"My expectations as a Bulgarian abroad are that Bulgaria will remain in the EU, that it will find a way to stabilise its economy and will find a way to comply with the EU criteria for curbing corruption, for carrying out a good reform in the economy, in the pension system and in everything that makes people's lives easier and happier."

What is stopping us, Bulgarians, from electing a normal parliament that will form a working government capable of leading the country out of the impasse?

"What we lack and what hinders us the most is the lack of active citizenship. There is apathy in society, there is indifference, there is despair! All this kills civic activism. Because a strong engagement in society will lead to elections in which people really say what they want and who they want to govern them. Unfortunately, this low turnout is the reason that parliament is filled with people who are not interested in the progress of the country, but in their personal interests. And that is where the problem comes from," concludes Filli Ladgman.

English version: Elizabeth Radkova