Nationalist Presidential Candidate Vows to Keep Defending 'Bulgarian Interest'

File photo, BGNES

The Bulgarian national interest will be the core priority of the newly emerged nationalist coalition even after the presidential election, candidate Krasimir Karakachanov has said.

Karakachanov has gained the third-best result in the vote's first round, which leaves him out of the runoff. He huled out making an endorsement for either Tsetska Tsacheva or Rumen Radev in the second round without hearing their positions on issues like poverty, retirement pensions and wages, but also the so-called "fuels cartel" and migration. 

"We did our best, the the batte goes on," he has said at a press conference after results were announced.

Reiterating his coalition's cause to address the migrant crisis and "free Bulgaria of Roma crime [and] vote buying along ethnic lines", he has hailed his projected result of nearly 15%.

Bulgaria will againt adhere to the "left-right" axis through the choice it will make in the runoff, but should not allow itself to be influenced by either Moscow or Washington and be guided by its own needs.

Karakachanov was supported not only by the Patriotic Front coalition he co-chairs, but also by ultranationalist Ataka party of controversial MP Volen Siderov, in a surprising show of unity.

He strongly benefited from the increased inflow of migrants over the summer, labelling all of them illegal and urging Syrians to stay in their country and fight.

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