Page 14 - SE Outlook Regions 2022

members included Petkov and Vassilev, initiated investigations into the
work of the previous regular government led by Boyko Borissov and
started revealing corrupt schemes in various areas.

After an unsuccessful attempt by popular showman Slavi Trifonov’s
There Are Such People (ITN) to become the next ruling party, a new
and attractive formation appeared led by Petkov and Vassilev. During
their time as caretaker ministers, the pair gained significant attention
and popularity when revealing some of the cases of misuse of funds or
alleged corruption.

The two Harvard graduates quickly became popular enough to decide
to set up their own political formation, Change Continues. The party
won the largest share of votes in the third general election in
mid-November and Petkov and Vassilev managed to bring to the
negotiating table three other formations that would not have agreed to
form a coalition otherwise – the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), ITN
and Democratic Bulgaria. In December, they signed a coalition
agreement and a new regular government, led by Petkov, was elected.

Petkov has set goals including to find a quick solution to the problems
blocking the start of EU accession talks with North Macedonia, reforms
to the judiciary that would eventually lead to accountability of the chief
prosecutor and replacement of the current one, Ivan Geshev. As the
government sought to clean up the judiciary and prosecution, an open
war between Interior Minister Boyko Rashkov and the prosecution
started in December and is expected to evolve in 2022.

The new government has pledged to put an end to widespread
corruption and theft of state funds, lift pensions above the poverty line,
modernise the country’s economy and deal with the coronavirus
pandemic. The country remains the least vaccinated in the EU and a
global leader in terms of deaths from coronavirus.

Meanwhile, President Rumen Radev, who won a second term in
November, is believed to have strong influence on the new government.
However, analysts believe that Petkov and his cabinet would quickly
come out from under his influence and act independently.

1.4 Politics - Croatia

Relatively few dramas are expected in 2022, after the ruling coalition
led by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) remained stable in 2021.
The HDZ won the general election in 2020, gaining 66 out of 151 seats
in parliament. The HDZ received the support of the national minority
parties, which elect eight MPs, as well as the People's Party —
Reformists and the Croatian People's Party — Liberal Democrats
(HNS) who won one seat each in the new parliament.

Meanwhile, the relations between HDZ’s leader and Prime Minister
Andrej Plenkovic and President Zoran Milanovic remained complicated

14 SE Outlook 2022 www.intellinews.com