As events turned out Serbia's 'Balkan Spring' proved short-lived as the three opposition leaders fell out among themselves and the momentum for change was lost. It was not surprising, therefore, that in the elections that took place on 19 th April 1997 the opposition UDF was returned to power with a large majority in the parliament. In November 1996 the UDF's candidate, Petar Stoyanov had won the presidential election. Although the new Bulgarian government was courted by Western institutions and investors in the hope that it would be more open to foreign business than its predecessor, little has happened to date. For example, privatization of key utilities is still in the pipe-line and arguments continue with the EU over the safety and future of Bulgaria's Kozloduy nuclear power plant.
Critics go further.
According to Petar Vlaskov, editor of Monitor newspaper, the Bulgarian economy has been brought to its knees by the policies of both the Socialist and UDF led governments. While people talk about the UDF as a 'right-wing' party Vlaskov says that all the country's political parties are on the left. The EU is seen as the prime cornucopia out of which all prosperity will flow. In fact, the language used by UDF spokesmen with their talk of 'pan-European structures' and 'models of integration' is as dead and meaningless as the former communist langue de bois. While right and left concur in their desire for EU membership they disagree on NATO membership.