#good luck this time

[zytes]

this manatee looks like it’s in a skyrim loading screen

[beardedmrbean]

Bulgarian voters are once again being asked to decide on the country’s government, as they prepare for snap national elections on Sunday. It is the seventh time that elections have been held in the EU’s poorest nation since mass anti-corruption protests in 2020 toppled a coalition government led by the centre-right GERB party.

Since then, a series of elections — two with just three months between them — have led to unstable coalitions led by multiple centrist and right-wing parties. Some observers have labelled the past few years as a period of "revolving-door governments," which has led to considerable apathy amongst voters.

At the last national election in June, the centre-right GERB-SDS coalition emerged as the largest group with 68 seats in the 240-seat parliament, ahead of the centrist DPS, which has historically represented Bulgaria’s sizable Turkish minority, with 47.

The far-right and pro-Russia Vazrazhdane or Revival party won 38 seats. Turnout stood at a record low of 34%, compared with 75% in the 1990s, soon after the fall of the Soviet-backed regime in Bulgaria.

After months of coalition talks, initially led by members of GERB, ended in deadlock, this October election was triggered.

A history of distrust and apathy

The eastern European nation of 6.7 million has a long history of voter apathy, according to the polling company Gallup, which has been monitoring distrust in elections across Europe for almost two decades.

Bulgaria has consistently come bottom of its list. After reaching a peak of 36% in 2006, voter confidence has dramatically declined to 10%, a record low. The figure is a third of the next-lowest EU country, Romania. It is also six times lower than the current EU average.

It isn’t just elections. Distrust amongst the Bulgarian electorate pervades many public institutions. Confidence in the judiciary stood at just 17%, under half the figure for its next closest rival, Malta. Approval for the EU also reached an all-time low, at 46%.

Some analysts believe this disillusionment has created a perfect storm for the far-right in the country.

The Revival party only entered the parliament in Sofia three years ago in 2021, passing the 4% threshold needed to gain seats. In these elections, it is polling in third place, on 14.2% of the vote, and could even come second.

Since entering parliament, Revival party MPs have pushed for a controversial "foreign agent" law, similar to a bill that caused mass demonstrations in Georgia earlier this year. It also successfully passed anti-LGBTQ+ legislation to ban "propaganda" supporting "non-traditional sexual orientations."

Its success comes as part of a rising tide of ultra-conservative parties across the continent, with large gains made by the far right in national elections in France and Austria, as well as the European Parliament this year.

Observers of Bulgarian politics believe that Revival’s power in coalition building could be unprecedented after Sunday’s vote, especially as the DPS party has split into factions.

[chloesimaginationthings]

FNAF Pit bonnie considers himself a great dad!

[bloobydabloob]

your art is dope as hell. seeing ur stuff on my dash really inspires me to keep going as an artist and to push the boundaries more! if you’re still doing requests id love to see jade in your style :] i hope you’ve had a good week

Shore here is a couple of recent Jades. My week was good I’ve been rewatching Batman movies.

[dandyshucks]

being in love with a fictional character will make u produce art u didnt know u were capable of

~

[if ur part of the "fiction doesnt affect reality" crowd: please fuck off lol]

[unusualshrimp]

internet safety tip: to protect your identity, you can start going by a "fake name" online. But Watch Out

[stemmmm]

my fucking plane won't take off so theseus' guide chapter 8 spoilers be upon ye

[bigchumpus]

Can you tell I'm incredibly normal :D

[inkskinned]

"don't make it political!" .... what proportion of death and suffering must occur before politics are involved. if this isn't political, what is even the point of any politics, ever. of democracy. the words are "by the people for the people." if i am going to be left alone by my elected representatives to "figure it out" - to undergo damage, hardship, fear. what the fuck did i elect them for. what was their job. the entire point is that they handle this shit. this is why we were supposed to be electing leaders.

poverty is political. misogyny is political. gun control is political. climate change is political. how much aid a community gets is political. what the fuck are you talking about. it's been political this whole fucking time.

[andsylphy]

Bloodless? 🩸

[mari-lair]

the 'favor tree'!

[commandertartarsmoocher]

Who is ready for The Grand Festival ?

Hey, wait a minute... who invited this guy?

[thatnununguy]

PLEASREE PLEASE SHOW MORE EQUIGAM ART PLEASE!!!!!!

When in doubt — post yaoi art. Or however the saying goes. Perchance.

[dadvans]

you know that when everyone at harbor finds out tommy is dating someone from the 118, they start a joke gofundme called "tommy kinard inevitable injury fund," but when they find out the person he's dating is evan crushed-by-firetruck-struck-by-lightning buckley, they start all contributing to it monthly in earnest

[rowynri]

and thus, the yearly undertale fixation comes back into being!! have some doodles :D

[hellsitegenetics]

i'm only 14, however i didn't understand this gimmick blog last year, since i hadn't learned about it in school.

i bring great news, i have been enlightened bro

i can now enjoy this blog to the fullest extent.

i feel like a fish who had been trapped in a bowl introduced to the splendor that is his home, the ocean

thank you

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Closest match: Hermodice carunculata genome assembly, chromosome: 10 Common name: Bearded Fireworm

(image source)