“The secret of change is to focus all your energy not on fighting the old, but on building the new,” according to Socrates. People in Bulgaria want change too though they seem more turned towards the ghosts of the past. There has been a string of general elections in the country for two whole years. What many Bulgarians are showing with their vote (or refusal to cast it) is that they want to see politicians change their way of thinking - the low voter turnout and the motley votes seem to be a demonstration of just that. Yet, the 4% electoral threshold has been cleared by political formations that seem totally incompatible.

After yesterday’s election for parliament the political situation in Bulgaria obviously remains the same, so now bridges ought to be thrown between the principal political forces for dialogue, analysts of the political processes in the country say.

Two political forces are once again in the top two positions - both demonstrate a Euro-Atlantic orientation, and at first glance, it would seem they could form a government. Yet, the dividing lines between GERB/SDS and We Continue the Change/Democratic Bulgaria run deep.

Almost 60% of Bulgarians did not exercise their right to vote, and not for the first time. So, it would be difficult to see the majority of the remaining 30% as expressing the attitudes of the public, analysts say. Against the backdrop of the current fifth round of elaborate party configurations, there is one political formation support for which has soared – the nationalist anti-systemic Vazrazhdane.

But what do Bulgarians actually think? Clearly, they reject the parties of the status quo, but at the same time they want to see politicians take a constructive stand and take action that would lead the country out of its state of uncertainty, hardship and confrontation.