Svetlana Kaneva in London: “Bulgarians are either tired or disillusioned”

Election day is proceeding calmly among our compatriots in London, but polling station commissions in Luton 1, Luton 2, Bedford and Hemel Hempstead report very low turnout.

“Voter turnout is extremely poor! It rains in London every day, but that cannot keep people away. I think Bulgarians are either tired or disillusioned,” says Svetlana Kaneva, chair of the polling station commission at Luton 2, where only 143 ballots were cast in the first round of Bulgaria's Presidential election last Sunday.

“This has never happened before in London. Only 12,000 applications to vote electronically were submitted. That is nothing, considering that 200,000 Bulgarians live in the UK. Personally, I will consider it a success if we reach 200 voters at our polling station today. I am also receiving reports that the situation is much the same in the towns around London. By 1 p.m., however, between 60 and 70 people had cast their ballots at our station.”

Distrust in the candidates is one of the reasons for the low interest in the election, Svetlana Kaneva believes. In her view, people are weary of elections and reluctant to vote because, as they put it, there is no strong candidate they can support.

“Voting here is actually very convenient now, and the embassy has organised things quickly and efficiently. There are plenty of polling stations, and voting with a machine is easy. The organisation is perfect! It is the people themselves who are disheartened, and that is why they are not coming to vote. That is my view.

“I have been involved in every election since 2020, and I have never seen turnout this low. Yet this is important: it is a presidential election, and we are choosing Bulgaria’s president. The president represents us and is the face of Bulgaria. I can only speak for myself, because people here have different views, but we all want to see a successful country and functioning institutions. We want sound decisions and effective foreign policy. We want someone at the helm of the state, a president who will truly defend the Bulgarian people, like an eagle watching over them. Someone who will offer greater support and listen to us.”

Bulgarians living abroad are still concerned that a law could be passed which would deprive them of their right to vote. And what exactly do they want? They say they want change in every sphere of life in Bulgaria and in every institution, so that one day they can return home with confidence and live in a truly European country, with functioning institutions, good healthcare, quality education and, of course, European-level wages for their work, on a par with those in the countries where they currently live.

That is how Svetlana Kaneva in London sums up the hopes and expectations of her compatriots.

Read also:

Bulgarians in Birmingham believe the President should serve the public interest

Kiril Totev, USA: Voters are disillusioned and don’t believe their voices matter

Edited by E. Karkalanova

English: R. Petkova