#velichie

[beardedmrbean]

At 17:00 today, Bulgaria's Central Election Commission (CEC) released the final results with 100% of protocols processed across the Regional Electoral Commissions (RECs).

GERB leads with 642,931 votes, representing 26.388% support, followed by the "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) coalition, which received 346,063 votes or 14.203% support. "Revival" (Vazrazhdane) garnered 325,468 votes, equaling 13.358% support, while "The Movement for Rights and Freedoms - New Beginning" (DPS-Peevski faction) saw 281,366 votes, capturing 11.548%. The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP - United Left) earned 7.568% with 184,403 votes, and the "Alliance for Rights and Freedoms" (DPS-Dogan faction) follows closely with 7.481%, or 182,263 votes. "There Is Such a People" (TISP) received 165,160 votes, or 6.779% support. Morality, Unity, Honour (MECh) achieved 111,946 votes (4.595%), while "Greatness" (Velichie), falling just below the 4% threshold to enter parliament, received 97,430 votes or 3.999%.

Additional parties, including "Blue Bulgaria" at 1.07% and "Bulgarian Rise" at 0.42%, remained below the 4% parliamentary entry threshold. A total of 82,618 ballots were cast by voters selecting the "I do not support anyone" option.

Regionally, GERB emerged as the top choice in 23 districts, including Blagoevgrad, Burgas, Varna, and Vidin, among others. In Sofia, WCC-DB prevailed in two of the capital’s multi-member constituencies (23rd and 24th MIRs), while GERB won the 25th. In Kardzhali, "DPS - New Beginning" claimed victory, as well as in Shumen and Targovishte. Dogan's APS claimed the top spot in Razgrad and Silistra.

Overall, DPS - New Beginning received 99,103 more votes domestically than APS. However, APS led in the overseas vote with 22.65%, followed by WCC-DB with 20.8%, "Revival" with 13.29%, DPS - New Beginning with 9.96%, GERB with 8.11%, "Greatness" with 7.74%, TISP with 7.12%, and MECh with 4.8%.

*** Two parties from yesterday's early parliamentary elections shared their responses on social media.

Kostadin Kostadinov, leader of "Revival," thanked the 325,000 “revivalists” who voted for the party, noting an increase of 10 percent from the previous election. Although "Revival" placed third overall, he highlighted that it ranked second in half of the country.

Kostadinov further remarked that voter turnout rose by 250,000 to a total of 2.5 million votes. He claimed that GERB and the two factions of DPS collectively gained an additional 250,000 votes since June, alleging vote-buying activities by GERB, DPS, WCC-DB, MECh, and Greatness. However, he suggested that a government could be formed this time due to depleted funds.

Meanwhile, "Greatness" posted a brief statement on Facebook, claiming that the CEC manipulated results to keep them out of parliament, with their final count at 3.999%. Their post reads: "This is a display—a display of mafia power over the people."

*** The Central Election Commission (CEC) reported that voter turnout in yesterday's election reached approximately 38.94 percent, based on the tally from all sectional protocols.

The CEC noted that this figure might be subject to revision following a recount.

Preliminary data shows that 2,570,639 people cast their ballots.

This marks an increase of over 4 percentage points in turnout compared to the elections on June 9.

[democraticelectorateoflivonia]

Diplomatic relations

[mariacallous]

Revival, Bulgaria’s leading pro-Russian far-right party, could take second place in parliamentary elections due on October 27, suggested pre-election opinion polls that were published on Friday. 

According to Trend polling agency, the centre-right GERB party is again likely to come first, with 24.8 per cent, comfortably ahead of Revival on 15.6 per cent and the reformist alliance and mandate holders in the last two short-lived coalition governments, We Continue the Change/Democratic Bulgaria, on 15.1 per cent. 

The next parliament is also expected to feature the Bulgarian Socialist Party, on 6.9 per cent, There’s Such a People (6.9 per cent), as well as two parties that emerged from the dissolution of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, MRF, which gathers most votes from the ethnic Turkish community – the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (8.5 per cent) and MRF – New Beginning (5.8 per cent).

On Thursday, another survey, by Alpha Research, put WCC/DB 0.2 per cent ahead of Revival, which means that second place is likely to be contested between Bulgaria’s two most pronounced pro- and anti-EU forces. 

Revival has made steady progress since entering parliament with 4.86 per cent of the votes in the November 2021 elections, gradually gaining popularity for its antivax and pro-Russian positions.

Its rise coincided with the Bulgaria’s far-right’s decline, and as support for the Bulgarian Socialist Party, traditionally aligned with Moscow, started also to wane. 

The party has been connected to various controversies. Most recently it was instrumental in passing a law which prohibits “propaganda” for “non-traditional sexual orientations” in the educational system.

Although this measure passed parliament, it has yet to convince enough MPs to pass a Kremlin-style “foreign agents’ law, which it has been pushing since 2022. 

Voter apathy is likely to be strong in the elections: Alpha Research indicates that only 30-31 per cent of voters intend to cast ballots. Trend puts it at 38 per cent. In June, 33.7 per cent of voters turned out. 

��A scenario in which ‘Revival’ comes in as a second power in parliament is a realistic outcome,  not because of leader Kostadin Kostadinov’s potential, but because everybody else’s inability to do better,” Polina Paunova, an investigative journalist at Capital weekly newspaper, told BIRN.

“The established parties are making their calculations based on how many votes they will lose amid the fatigue around the endless election cycle. True to his style as a political vulture, Kostadinov is attracting those who are increasingly frustrated but still willing to vote. As long as the other parties are looking away, never creating truly motivating campaigns, never delving too deeply into why people don’t vote, Kostadinov will have better and better perspectives,” Paunova warned.

Nationalist parties gaining momentum 

Despite their erratic decisions, several nationalist factions have retained their support base.

There’s Such a People, founded by Slavi Trifonov. came first in the elections in July 2021, then sharply declined in relevancy, but still remains poised to win at least 6 per cent of the votes. 

At different times, it has gravitated towards the country’s pro-Russian President Rumen Radev, and to GERB in 2021-2022. There’s Such a People ended the coalition government of Kiril Petkov and WCC by leaving the cabinet and moving to the opposition. Most recently, it has shifted towards Revival. 

Two other nationalist parties are lurking around the 4-per-cent barrier. Greatness (Velichie) proved a surprise phenomenon in the June elections after crossing the threshold without being mentioned in any polls.

But its parliamentary group disintegrated after a fallout between its two co-leaders. This development also came as investigations began into the business enterprises of founder Ivelin Mihaylov, which also included developing an alleged paramilitary unit. Greatness might not fade entirely, as polls suggest support of 3-4 per cent. 

Radostin Vassilev, who left There’s Such a People in 2022 claiming criminal ties in the party, and then moved to We Continue the Change – but left after leaking recordings of party meetings to the media– in June started his own party, Moral, Unity and Honour (in Bulgarian, the abbreviation forms the word “Sword”). It is on about 3 per cent.

Meanwhile, the stalemate is having tangible effects on Bulgaria’s perspectives. 

On September 26, at the last session of parliament, There’s Such a People, Revival, the BSP, Greatness and MRF – New Beginning, blocked proceedings in protest against amendments to the Recovery and Resilience Plan and the planned closure of the Maritsa Iztok power plant.

MPs claimed that through this, Bulgaria lost over 1 billion euros in European funds due to parliament’s failure to pass the amendments before the September 30 deadline.

[drevniyaga-blog]

                . * ･✧⤛⧽ velichie liked for a starter

                It was no way for anyone to die. To be gathered together like farm animals and slaughtered in the night. It was her domain, and she had heard the shots even as far as the Thrice-Tenth Kingdom, echoing through the dark outside her house. She had watched them all put the bodies in the truck, drive them to the first sight to desecrate their bodies, to bury them and dig them up and bury them again, only to take them back to the road as a final insult. When morning broke, they had left, and so had she until the following night, standing at the mess of mud and dirt in her black fur coat, a lantern-skull on a stick stuck into the ground next to her for light, and her mortar and pestle idly drifting on her other side.                 ”I warned you, Kolya, you should’ve fled when you had the chance,” she said, taking a drag from a cigarette. There was work to be done before she went to Buyan to meet the new bride. Under the cover of darkness she could do her work without spies, dead or otherewise, or so she thought.                 “Don’t dither about in the dark like a coward, Ivan, I know you’re there,” she spoke, turning back cast a glare over her shoulder. “Are you leave me to do the heavy lifting, comrade?"

[anyalenkaya-blog]

@velichie // continued.

          ‘  no, i was —– ’         does it matter?    ‘  don’t worry, i’m not any sort of an official. ’ oh, he is never too subtle anymore — but weren’t sophistication and small talk things they have been so determined to root out in their NEW REALITY?   ‘ but you have to trust me on one thing: if you don’t come with me, someone else will come for you, and i wouldn’t be able to help. now, for a limited time, i am and i intend to. ’   years ago he’d failed her countless of times. not again. ‘ ..are you coming — anya? ’

trust is earned,  not given.  but she is awfully hungry,  starving even,  and cold,  and well...  no one else has offered any help.  it seems,  for the time being,  that he is her only shot at getting somewhere         but kindness from strangers is a rare thing to come by these days,  so she cannot help but enquire.   ‘ why do you want to help me?  i have no money.  i cannot pay you. ’

[hemoveswithaswagger]

' My weariness amazes me, I'm branded on my feet. I have no one to meet, and the ancient empty street's too dead for dreaming. '

@velichie 

        Though Anatole hated to call himself stupid or unintelligent, such moments as this did leave him uncertain at least as to his level of intellect. “Have you tried wine and a good night’s sleep?” The suggestion came e a s y to him — ‘twas precisely what Anatole did any time he felt poorly. And he was fairly sure that poor-feeling was what this strange man was getting at. Of course, Anatole’s suggestion failed to tell the whole story, as his bad days ended in absolute drunkenness and at least one sexual encounter, not just 'wine and sleep’.         “Alternatively, you can certainly try me. I help with feeling, I have wine, money, friends, and my body.” Encouragement and hope danced in his eyes.

[severnayastolitsa]

💭 !

Alexei adores Ivan. Really, he does. He loves him as a family member and a mentor. As a child, he practically worshiped the older man. He still wants very much to impress him, to live up to whatever expectations he thinks Ivan has of him, and often feels like Ivan must be disappointed in him for some reason or another. At times, he can’t help but feel a twinge of envy and resentment, for in many ways, Ivan is the archetypal strong, stoic Russian man that Alexei is not. He worries that Ivan sees him as delusional, a failure, a has-been, and an invalid who can’t take care of himself. 

Still, Ivan is family, and Alexei loves him dearly. While he’s immensely hesitant about telling anyone about his deeply personal feelings and problems, he knows that if there’s anyone he can trust to listen, it’s Ivan. If there’s anyone he can call at 3 in the morning drunk and without a ride, it’s Ivan. Bottom line is that he feels comfortable and safe around Ivan. 

send a ‘💭’ to learn what my muse thinks of yours / accepting

[riffrafpilot]

' I gave my heart to the Army -- the only sentimental thing I could think of. '

          “Aye? An’ what did ye get outta it? Anythin’ gid? Anythin’ WORTHWHILE? Th’ Army ain’t gaun’ treat your heart kind. In fact, ah think they intend on breakin’ it every which way they can possibly think of. At the end of th’ day, ye donnae get what ye put into - god BLESS ‘em, the Army. You just gotta keep sluggin’ way ‘til one day you DIE an’ they call you a HERO.”

[fairestfall]

@velichie cont. from here

        The woman seems to have more akin with a marble statue than a human woman. Her stance is stalwart and a crease in the illusion only appears when an amused smile blooms. “Oh, please. I would think that an immortal would have a bit more maturity. I am not greedy nor am I averse to spending the night with a stranger.” 

She gracefully lowers herself on a log near her recently built fire and gestures to the spot beside her. “Sit. Rest. You can always fight me in the morning once you’ve regained your strength. However, I warn you, I am far stronger than I look.” 

[chvxnov-blog]

@velichie // Starter Call

It was mid-October and the letter that he kept folding and unfolding was not his. Soon tired of his action he threw it into the small blazing fire to join with the rest of the German-tongued letters. He watched the weak flames lick holes through it, raising his chin to look up when the shaking building rained more loose concrete on them.

Across the Volga the night sky laid lit a bright red. He lit Kraut letters on fire while their Luftwaffe lit fire to their city. Sitting idly their, waiting...watching...

"Bastards are still making progress. At this rate, we are going to end up trapped like rats in this narrow zones. " Chvanov didn't peel his eyes away from the scenery, far yet close. "Reinforcements are late, aren't they ? "And with that he turned back to the small fire, making sure it had build enough to start brewing the coffee while the battle continued in the distance.

[beardedmrbean]

The Dossier Commission, the body required by law to disclose who in various walks of public life worked for Bulgaria’s communist-era secret services, announced on October 18 which candidates in Bulgaria’s October 27 2024 National Assembly elections were affiliated with State Security.

The commission said that of the 4848 candidates, it checked 1793. The remaining 3055 were not checked because they are below the age threshold set in law.

It listed 41 identified as having worked for State Security.

This is lower than the figure of 79 identified ahead of the June 2024 early parliamentary elections, but in those elections, there were more candidates – 6136 – of whom 2316 were subject to checking.

Among those named by the Dossier Commission on October 18 is Movement for Rights and Freedoms founder and honorary president Ahmed Dogan, who has been identified before on several occasions. In these elections, Dogan is standing in his Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (ARF) coalition.

Dogan’s rival, Delyan Peevski, has one candidate, from his Movement for Rights and Freedoms – New Beginning coalition, identified as former State Security.

Among the major parties and coalitions, the only two identified as not having former State Security people among their candidates are the refomist We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria coalition, and pro-Kremlin party Vuzrazhdane.

Boiko Borissov’s centre-right GERB-UDF coalition has one candidates named as having worked for State Security.

Among other parties that won seats in June, in the October elections cable television presenter Slavi Trifonov’s populist ITN party has one former State Security person as a candidate, while populist-nationalist Velichie also has one.

As disclosed by the Dossier Commission, the list is:

Adrian Hadzhiev, Bulgarian Union for Direct Democracy

Assen Belchev, Russophiles for Bulgaria

Aspararuh Karastoyanov, Bulgarian Socialist Party – United Left

Ahmed Dogan, ARF

Boris Zlatarev, Ataka

Valentin Hristov, Bulgari

Vangel Arabadzhiev, BSP – United Left

Velizar Enchev, BSP – United Left

Vulyo Iliev, Russophiles for Bulgaria

Dimitar Dimitrov, BSP – United Left

Doriyan Avramov, My Country Bulgaria

Emil Georgiev, Bulgari

Emil Denkov, Russophiles for Bulgaria

Emil Vladimirov, Russophiles for Bulgaria

Ivan Tokadzhiev, BSP – United Left

Ivan Turpomanov, BSP – United Left

Krassimir Stefanov, Ataka

Krassimir Kostov, Velichie

Krassimir Assenov, MRF – New Beginning

Lyubomir Hristov, GERB-UDF

Lyubomir Slavkov, BSP – United Left

Maxim Velkov, KOY – Competence, Responsibility, Truth

Maxim Mladenov, ITN

Milan Kosarov, Bulgaria for Labour and Reason

Nako Stefanov, KOY – Competence, Responsibility, Truth

Nikolai Nikolov, Bulgarian Union for Direct Democracy

Nikolai Radulov, Mech

Pavel Denkov, The Right

Petko Stoykov, Free Voters

Petar Zhelyazkov, Blue Bulgaria

Radeon Popov, ARF

Radko Handzhiev, Russophiles for Bulgaria

Radko Radev, Ataka

Ramadan Atalay, ARF

Roumen Nikolov, KOY – Competence, Responsibility, Truth

Roumen Sokolov, BSP – United Left

Stefan Genov, BSP – United Left

Stoyan Trashliev, Bulgaria Ascending

Todor Ivanov, DOST

Hristo Dunchev, Party of the Greens

Yanko Yanev, BSP – United Left

The Sofia Globe’s factfile for the October 27 2024 early parliamentary elections is available at this link.

[bestvictima]

‘ it’s a hypothetical, i wasn’t thinking of doing that. ’

prompt: buzzfeed unsolved.status: accepting.

       “-- YOU SURE ABOUT that one, hon.”  a brow raises.  “now, i’m not going to argue the fact that you might have been talking about a hypothetical.  it’s just -- more about the fact you sounded very, very passionate about the hypothetical.  it’s easy to think you’d go ahead and do it.”

[mariacallous]

European and domestic parliamentary elections in Bulgaria on Sunday marked the next step in the political comeback of populist ex-prime minister Boyko Borissov, leader of the centre-right GERB party.

Turnout was an all-time low for Bulgaria. Only 32.5 per cent of voters took part in the general elections and 33.4 per cent in the European Parliamentary race according to Alpha Research agency.

The Central Election Committee’s preliminary results, based on 50.9 per cent of ballots processed, placed GERB/United Democratic Forces first in the parliamentary elections, with 23.5 per cent.

Who came second remained unclear. The reformist duo of We Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria won 15.4 per cent and, despite a major drop in voter support, won in Sofia, highlighting where their main support lies.

GERB’s partners in the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, MRF, won 15.1 while the pro-Russia far-right Revival won 14.5 per cent. Another faction aligned with Russia, the once mighty Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP, won 6.9 per cent and the nationalist There’s Such a People stand won 6.5 per cent.

A recently founded party, Greatness, made it selection debut with some 5.1 per cent. Greatness (Velichie) has been investigated as be a Ponzi scheme by the local Capital weekly newspaper and has been connected with paramilitary trainings. The party, with no clear positioning on the right/left spectrum but leaning towards nationalist, pro-Russian, Eurosceptic and conspiratorial ideas, ran a campaign largely relying on YouTube, TikTok and Telegram content.

Although some see Greatness as modelled on Revival, the two parties have been hostile towards each other. At a post-election press conference, Greatness co-founder Ivelin Mihaylov clarified that “the biggest difference between us and Revival is that they want Bulgaria to be on Russia’s side, while we’re promoting neutrality.” He denied hosting paramilitary trainings or running a financial pyramid scheme.

The outcome of the general elections means that around 25-30 per cent of voters chose pro-Russian forces.

According to the same preliminary results, GERB also came first in the European Parliament elections with 22.9 per cent of the votes, ahead of WW/DB on 15.7 per cent, Revival on 14.9 per cent, MRF on 11.1 per cent, BSP on 7.1 and There’s Such a People on 6.6 per cent.

The general elections, the sixth in three years, overlapped with the European Parliament elections following the dissolution of the uneasy coalition between GERB/UDF and WCC/DB.

Croatia’s governing centre-right wins comfortably

In Croatia, the ruling centre-right Croatian Democratic Union, HDZ, convincingly won the elections for the European Parliament, taking six of the 12 seats that Croatia holds in Brussels.

The centre-left Social Democratic Party, SDP, won four seats while the far-right Homeland Movement and the left-green Mozemo! (We Can!) won one each.

The HDZ took 34.6 percent of the votes cast, the list of SDP and its partners won 25.96 percent and the Homeland Movement came third with 8.82 percent. Mozemo! came fourth with 5.92 percent.

However, the turnout was a dismal 21.32 per cent, 8.53 per cent less than in the elections for the European parliament in 2019.

In terms of preferential votes, PM Andrej Plenkovic, who will not go to the EU parliament but will remain Prime Minister, won 101,721 while Biljana Borzan, first on the SDP list, came second with 83,551. The far-right Homeland Movement candidate Stephen Nikola Bartulica had 35,239 preferential votes.

Plenkovic, in his victory speech on Sunday night, blamed the low turnout on voter fatigue. “Obviously, there was saturation after the parliamentary elections, ”he said, referring to the parliamentary elections held last month.

But he added: “We won as many as six mandates, two mandates more than [in the last European parliamentary polls in] 2019. It’s a great success.”

In the wake of the HDZ victory, SDP president Pedja Grbin announced on Monday that he will not continue as leader of the party and that he will not run for any position in the upcoming internal party elections, but that he will stay on as leader until the members of the SDP elect a replacement.

Grbin recalled that before the parliamentary elections last month, he said that if the SDP did not form a government, he would step down. “I am a man of my word,” he told reporters.

In Greece, ruling party leads but far-right also rises

The European parliamentary elections in Greece were marked by a low turnout – over 60 per cent of voters did not cast ballots – and the election of four far-right MEPs. With 99.98 per cent of the votes counted, the governing centre-right New Democracy party, ND, came first with 28.31 per cent, taking seven seats.

It did not do as well as in the 2023 general elections, when it won over 40 per cent of the vote.

The left-wing SYRIZA party came second with 14.92 per cent and four seats, while the left-wing PASOK came third with 12.79 per cent and three seats.

EllinikiLysi (Greek Solution) came next with 9.30 per cent and two seats, the Greek Communist party, KKE, won 9.25 per cent and two seats, and another far-right party, Niki, won 4.37 per cent and one seat. PleussiEleftherias won 3.4 per cent and one seat and a third far-right party, FoniLogikis, won 3.04 per cent and one seat.

Among the ND’s seven elected MEPs is the ethnic Greek mayor-elect of Himara in Albania, Fredi Beleri, who was sentenced to two years in prison in Albania for vote-buying in the mayoral election. His conviction has caused a diplomatic dispute between Albania and Greece. Beleri, who is still in jail, said that his success in the European election was “unimaginable for a country [Albania] that wants to become a member of the European family”.

Among minority parties in Greece, the Party of Friendship, Equality and Peace, which advocates for the “Turks of Western Thrace” came first in the Rhodope and Xanthi regions. Greece does not recognise the existence of a Turkish minority in Thrace, only a “Muslim minority”, which also includes Pomaks (Bulgarian-speaking Muslims) and Muslim Roma.

Governing parties come first in Romania

Romania had no official results for Sunday’s European Parliament polls by Monday morning but exit polls suggested that the centre-left Social Democratic Party and the National Liberal Party came first with some 53 per cent of the votes cast.

According to these calculations, the government coalition will send 14 representatives to Brussels out of 33 seats reserved for Romania in the European legislature.

According to the same results, the right-wing populist Alliance for the Union of Romanians, AUR, came second on 15 per cent, the centre-right United Right Alliance came third on 11 per cent, followed by the Democratic Union of the Hungarians in Romania, UDMR.

PSD leader and PM Marcel Ciolacu announced on Sunday night after the polling stations closed that the Social Democratic Party had “won the elections”. He said the vote had confirmed that the PSD had “governed well in a complicated period”.

With most votes cast abroad counted, the PSD-PNL Alliance won 21.33 per cent, followed by the United Right Alliance, AUR and SOS Romania. The United Right Alliance followed on 16.3 per cent, and the right-wing AUR on 14.54 per cent.

The Romanian diaspora, a significant factor in the election, comprises over 5.4 million citizens. Over 56,000 Romanians from Moldova voted, a record in comparison with previous polls organised by Romania in Moldova. In Moldova, out of 2.6 million people, over one million are Romanian citizens, and voters from Moldova constituted about 25 per cent of the total number of 209,000 Romanian voters abroad. Romania opened 52 polling stations in the country.

[star--travelru]

Изучайте красоту и загадки Уральских гор - увлекательный путеводитель по величественным природным пейзажам России. Отдых а России star--travel.ru _России

[velikaiya-blog]

❛ What else can I do? ❜

QUESTION STARTERS, accepting !! *:･ﾟ✧ @velichie

​

     ‘ READ me the report again, dear. Outside, as we walk through the garden. ’ A request for his company. 

     SUNLIGHT streamed in through the windows and right now she would rather be out, enjoying the warmth and beauty of the garden in full bloom. She finally turned away from the window, offering Ivan a smile, fully expecting him to join her at her side. As it should be.

     ‘AND you can tell me exactly what is on that mind of yours. ’

[dreadfamed-a]

’ lethal fire is waiting, and yet it’s powerless against us. ’

            Traces of a sneer quirked Klaus’ lips upward. What a different meaning the word lethal carried when borne upon the tongue of ones immortal. A thousand years passed all too slow, and how many deaths had he witnessed in their slow trudge onward? And through it all, such as they remained unscathed throughout. What was left to be feared, when waiting Death swung his scythe ineffectually, their skin and blood too resilient to part beneath His blade?

            ❛ And so it shall wait a great while longer. ❜    The confidence Klaus professed belied the uncertainty which ever lurked in his gut, accompanied by recollections of his father and those few weapons with power to harm him. But even to himself did he deny such fears.    ❛ A toast, then, perhaps, to being greater even than time itself.. ❜

 // @velichie.