BULGARIA: Bulgaria votes for a president tomorrow, but the battle between the former communist incumbent and a controversial ultra-nationalist has made many people question the Balkan state's political health two months before it joins the European Union.
President Georgi Parvanov looks certain to beat Volen Siderov, leader of the far-right Ataka party, after taking 64 per cent of votes to his rival's 21 per cent in a first-round ballot that failed to attract the 50 per cent of voters needed to prevent a run-off.
The rapid rise of Mr Siderov and Ataka has done nothing for Bulgaria's image, which was badly tarnished by complaints from Brussels that Sofia was not doing enough to crack down on corruption and organised crime.
Although the EU finally gave Bulgaria permission to join the bloc with Romania in January, many of its eight million people were angered by the decision of the Republic and the UK to retain work restrictions on citizens of the two states after accession.
Mr Parvanov, who helped shift the Socialist Party away from its communist roots towards the political centre, said a convincing victory for him was the only outcome that would prevent further damage to Bulgaria's reputation.
"It is not possible for Ataka leader Volen Siderov to win the run-off on Sunday," Mr Parvanov (49) told Bulgarian radio this week.
"The question is not by how much I will win but about the image of Bulgaria, which is not very good anyway." Mr Parvanov's popularity prompted leading centre-right politicians to withdraw from the election, leaving Mr Siderov to collect a large protest vote.
After making headlines with disparaging comments about Bulgaria's large Turkish and Roma minorities, Mr Siderov now insists he is not a racist but simply a good patriot intent on defending the country's interests.
He still promises to ban Bulgaria's main ethnic Turkish party if he wins power, however, and opposes Turkey's bid for EU membership. He also pledges to renegotiate some of Bulgaria's accession treaty with Brussels and to investigate shady privatisation deals that he says benefited a small elite to the detriment of the nation's many poor.
"Parvanov represents those who think Bulgaria successful, as it joined Nato and will soon be a member of the EU," said political analyst Ivan Krastev.
"But Siderov garners support from those who see the transition period as a failure, marked by criminal enrichment and betrayal of the national interest."