site.btaUPDATED Campaign Highlights: Sept. 7

Among the priorities of VMRO - Bulgarian National Movement for the coastal city of Varna is the idea to build a  terminal for liquefied natural gas from Georgia in the region. Top-of-the-list candidate Iskren Vesselinov explained that  Bulgaria should back the White Stream gas pipeline project. What VMRO started while in the government - the revival of Northern Bulgaria through large-scale investments in infrastructure - should continue, he said. VMRO co-leader Aleksandar Sidi said that the party's two main priorities are incomes and security. Co-leader Angel Dzhambazki said in next parliament VMRO would not work with parties with foreign owners, people who are hostile towards Bulgaria.

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Continue the Change unveiled its office in Kazanlak (Central Bulgaria). Top-of-the-list candidate Radoslav Ribarski said that the main priority for his constituency is the energy sector and preserving the Maritsa East Mines complex. Other priorities include road infrastructure, healthcare, the water and sewerage network. Former National Assembly chairman Nikola Minchev said that the State should restore its control that has been missing for years over illegal logging so as to prevent floods like the recent ones in Karlovo Municipality. The flooded villages need workers and heavy machinery, and helping the people is the most urgent matter at present, he said.

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Bulgarian Rise opened its election campaign in the coastal city of Burgas. Leader Stefan Yanev said their motivation is for a strong and developed Bulgaria which to guarantee the country’s rise. The formation's task is to solve today’s problems and to seek the prospect that will ensure development. He called for unity over national causes, such as demographic matters, education, healthcare, and business. Top-of-the-list candidate Violeta Komitova sees as national interest the development of small and medium-sized businesses as the foundation of the middle class nourishing all other systems of the public political life.

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The best social policy at the moment is to curb inflation, said GERB-UDF list leader in Stara Zagora Krasimir Valchev at the presentation of the candidates from the district in Kazanlak. MP candidate Iliana Zhekova commented that in the last year and a half communication between the executive and local administrations has been broken. She said that GERB can bring back stability in the state, security in everyday life and workplaces.

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Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) for Bulgaria leader Korneliya Ninova said in Blagoevgrad (Western Bulgaria) that the economy and the social policy are the most important to her coalition. Over the past months within the government, BSP backed small and medium-sized businesses and provided compensations. The economy developed and the families were saved from a cold winter, she added. She listed as priorities within the fight with the “demographic catastrophe” the provision of free medicine for children aged up to 14 and free textbooks. The second candidate on BSP’s list, Prof Georgi Mihaylov, said voting for his coalition means voting for the social pillar and a social state.

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The sequence of the campaign highlights featured in this report follows the ballot numbers of the 29 contestants in the October 2 snap parliamentary elections.