Following the disappointing performance in the last parliamentary elections, the co-chair of the "Green Movement" party, Toma Belev, has been removed from his leadership position. The information comes from "Ekonovini". The other co-chair – Daniela Bozhinova – retains her position.
The decision was made during the party congress held in Plovdiv over the weekend. Delegates elected lawyer Kalin Angelov as the new co-chair. With this move, the formation is clearly aiming to renew its public image and distance itself from compromised figures, among whom the name of Toma Belev is often mentioned.
In the elections for the National Assembly on April 19, the "Green Movement" appeared in a coalition with three other political forces, but received only 0.58% of the votes. This is far from the preliminary forecasts of Toma Belev and his associates, who claimed that the coalition could achieve 121 parliamentary seats and independent governance.
The removal of Belev is also viewed as part of the preparations for the local elections in October 2027. The expectations are that the new leadership will make an attempt to rejoin the PP-DB coalition.
The failure of the Anti-Corruption Block
Despite the ambitious statements during the campaign, the results showed a serious collapse. The Anti-Corruption Block, in which four parties participated, gathered under 18,000 votes in total – just 0.58%.
The coalition included the "Green Movement" led by Toma Belev, "Edinenie" of caretaker Minister of Agriculture Ivan Hristanov, "Nie Idvame" of Maria Capon, and "Middle European Class" of Konstantin Bachiyski.
The data shows that each of the formations received just over 4,000 votes, which calls into question the real influence of the greens and their partners.
Despite the active campaign of Ivan Hristanov from his position as minister and his frequent public revelations, the voters did not recognize his messages. According to analyses, the public remained skeptical of his actions, defined by critics as "hot air".
Doubts are also raised by the influence of non-governmental organizations associated with the "Green Movement". Despite significant funding through public and European funds, this has not translated into public trust.
Part of the public discontent is directed at the greens' actions against major infrastructure projects. For many, this has led to the feeling that the formation defends limited interests rather than those of society.
Suspicions are also emerging that some non-governmental organizations associated with the party receive foreign funding, which raises questions about the protection of foreign interests. Further tension is created by reports of non-transparent distribution of multi-million grants.
The weak result is also linked to the fact that the campaign was heavily dependent on the figure of Ivan Hristanov. Ultimately, voters did not respond to this approach.
Although the result of 0.58% is described as a failure, according to some analysts, it shows that about 18,000 people still recognized the cause of nature conservation. Critics, however, argue that the real interests of the structures around the party are aimed at public procurement and foreign funding.
The topic around the personality of Toma Belev continues to generate discussions, including along lines such as "toma belev son", "toma belev father", "toma belev gerb" and "toma belev party", which often appear in the public space.