| Regards from Sofia, where the author of this Brief has witnessed the first days of the European election campaign and concluded the following: The number one election punching bag is the European Green Deal, and it’s no different in many other EU countries. Let’s not mince our words – the European elections were invented with another goal in mind, but today, the election campaign is increasingly becoming an excuse to bash the EU. In a democracy, all relevant political players should have the floor in election campaigns where they can make their case before we decide who to vote for. In Bulgaria, there are 20 political parties and 11 coalitions, and most of these political players are entitled to state funding through media packages. Traditionally, funds for media advertising are the main expense in election campaigns, and political entities are free to choose where to advertise. This said, some media, including Euractiv Bulgaria, refuse to take money for political advertising. But most media take the money gladly, and state broadcasters, radio and TV, are legally obliged to give equal advertising space to all political players. It matters little if out of 20 parties, only five can realistically make it to Parliament – all are equally benefitting from the media to voice their messages. The result is that whether you switch on your TV or your radio, there is always a politician, often from fringe parties without any chance of getting into parliament, happily taking advantage of their media time to hammer at the EU as if it were the world’s biggest evil. The average citizen is subject to such an overdose of anti-EU rhetoric that it is a miracle that some voters still opt for political forces who don’t want to raze the EU to the ground. | 