ANALYSIS OF ELECTIONS TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT IN BULGARIA AND ROMANIA

Abstract

Elections for the Eurepean Parliament in Bulgaria and Romania resulted in an overwhelming victory of pro-EU parties (especially in the latter), more or less content with the EU as it is today. That being said, the enthusiasm of voters in these two neighbouring countries was drastically different. In Romania it reached historical maximum, which was partly contributed by the referendum on corruption, while Bulgaria saw the lowest turnout of all times. The result is also in the impact of elections on domestic political scenes of the two countries. In Romania, the ruling social democrats experienced a bitter defeat, which will not pass without consequences in the upcoming parliamentary elections. At the same time, political balance was not disrupted so dramatically. The common theme for both the politicians and the public in both countries was corruption, especially in Romania, but the same topic caused a certain amount of political distress in Bulgaria too.