Liberating the Bulgarian political environment: ‘We Continue the Change’ and the populism of democracy in Bulgaria

This article analyzes the successful presentation of the newest-at-the-time political formation We Continue the Change during the 2021 parliamentary elections in Bulgaria, held in the midst of one of the largest legitimacy crises in the democratic history of the country. The main research question explored by this study inquires into the driving factors behind the success of Kiril Petkov and Asen Vasilev’s political project We Continue the Change. In doing so, the study identifies dominant themes within the discourse of change that was utilized by Kiril Petkov and Asen Vasilev in the pre-election campaign. The analysis illustrates how the two political leaders managed to build up their charisma and establish themselves as reliable leaders during their mandate in the caretaker government. This article makes a scientific contribution through an exploration of a populist success story in Bulgarian politics and spotlights broader political processes in post-communist Eastern Europe.