More and more Bulgarians abroad have been supporting the anti-government protests which have been raging throughout Bulgarian for 12 days. They too want their voice to be heard, and are organizing protests on social media to state that they want a change. Berlin, Brussels. Vienna, Paris, London, Copenhagen, Barcelona and the Hague are just some of the places where our countrymen are raising a voice in support of the protests in Bulgaria.

Gabriela Bencheva is coordinator of the first protest in Nuremberg in Southeastern Germany on 19 July. She has been living in Nuremberg for 9 years, she has graduated from secondary school and from university there. At the moment the 25-year old lawyer is working and undergoing training at the law court in Nuremberg. She says that what the Bulgarians living in Germany want is no different from what people in Bulgaria, and around the world want – the resignation of the government and of the prosecutor general. The young lady from Bulgaria adds that if proven guilty the culprits must go to jail. She says that more and more Bulgarians want to come home but not with this administration.

“We did not flee the country, we were driven away,” Gabriela says. “We want to live in Bulgaria.” That, she says, is the most important message she wants to convey.

The government has its arguments why it should not resign at this time – that now is not the time for early elections in view of the coming economic crisis as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. A number of analysts are also saying that the lack of a political alternative cannot lead to a change in the governance model. But such reasoning cannot contain the powerful wave of outrage spreading among Bulgarians living in different parts of the world. For many of them the tipping point of tolerance has been reached and it is time for radical political change, Gabriela Bencheva says:

“Educated, intelligent people are coming out into the street and they want to be heard. We can each be part of the new model but we must not allow the current government to remain in power. If other people come and we are not happy, we shall again come out to protest. Until we find intelligent, educated people who know how a country is governed. Why shouldn’t they be young people, educated abroad, people with a new kind of thinking? Why can’t that be a solution?”

In the course of 20 years there has not been a model of governance which has been able to persuade young people to stop emigrating. But which priorities of governance could persuade them to return home?

“Democracy, because to my mind we are not living in a democracy. The laws must be changed in such a way as to meet the standards of democracy and make sure there is no corruption. Education and health care must be a priority. It is essential to protect people and to head in some direction. But this must happen socially. What is really important to me as a lawyer is transparency. When I was 16 I wanted to see how things were happening in other countries, how people there live, what their way of thinking is. I am now 25, I have graduated law. At this age I want to come back to Bulgaria and to do something for my country. I shall do everything in my power.”

Photos: courtesy of Gabriela Bencheva