"The first lie about me is that I am gay, and I am not", said Assen Vassilev on Nova TV. There, Boyko Borisov shared that Tsvetelina Borislavova's clothes are still in his wardrobe. What does it mean when politicians say such things.
Politicians often try to look like ordinary people when they need votes - in the election campaign. Then, in the name of closeness and trust, they begin to share intimate details. Did this staged "humanity" work for them, using childhood memories, hobbies, and demonstrative spontaneity?
The results of the April 19 elections will show whether this media flirtation with sharing is gaining trust.
Self-promotion and personal stories
“The first lie about me, which was paid for quite generously in the tabloids in 2022, is that I am gay, and I am not”, said in a nearly two-hour interview in Nova TV's column “Bulgaria's Election: Portraits of Power” the chairman of “We Continue the Change” (PP) Asen Vassilev. There, the unanimously re-elected GERB leader Boyko Borisov shared about his long-time ex-girlfriend Tsvetelina Borislavova: “Very few people know that her clothes are still in the closet in Bankya. I haven't taken them off to this day”.
The interviews, which mixed self-promotion and personal stories, delighted supporters of both parties. Borisov's alpha masculinity is no surprise to the audience. And his answers are a potpourri of stories told by himself over the years. He is an ordinary person, “the child of a teacher and a firefighter” - he distinguishes himself from the elite. He lives where he was born - in Bankya, that is, he is not an offshoot of the nomenclature from the center of Sofia, he has no palaces. He tolerates a lot and forgives a lot - he is mature and wise. The photos from the bedroom (with the bars, the gun and the packs, etc.) are “disgusting manipulation”, etc.
“Humanization” of the image
In politics, the sincere and personal rarely come spontaneously - they function within the framework of a media strategy for “humanization” of the image of the public figure. The politician often shows a version of himself, tailored to the preferences of his voters.
This process is part of the broader management of the public image, in which many of the words, gestures or spontaneous confessions become a tool. Constantly exposed to the public eye, politicians try to control both the topics and the way they are perceived.
They do nothing much different from other people. Everyone, or almost everyone, wants to be liked and accepted and also “directs” themselves - at work, when dating, on social networks. The difference is that where in everyday life it is a question of social adaptation, in politics it is a question of influence and power.
However, does the sexual orientation of the politicians they vote for matter to voters - or is what is essential for society their effectiveness as managers and legislators? Undoubtedly, in the 21st century, personality is replacing ideology, and the politician is constantly “visible” thanks to the media and social networks. And the audience, that is, the sympathizers, also show interest in personal life.
Before the current dictate of the networks, in the 19th century, Prime Minister Stefan Stambolov, known as the “Balkan Bismarck”, was also famous for his love affairs. At these latitudes, macho people have always had high ratings, whether they are politicians or criminals.
The politician - more image or more ideas?
In 2025, the young leader of the far-right National Rally in France, Jordan Bardella, announced on a famous show that he was not gay, claims about which were widely circulated on TikTok. He described them as “fantasy”. For such a party, it is especially important that its politicians are imbued with traditional values in order to fit the conservative profile.
When in the 21st century the leader of a liberal party, such as “Promnia” (a member of the European political family “Renew Europe”) announces that he is not homosexual, this can be interpreted as an attempt to expand the periphery of voters or to fend off potential compromising material.
The core of the PP is not excited about this topic, but the statement is probably aimed at citizens who are hesitant about whom to vote for. This is how the intimate ceases to be personal and becomes a political signal. But the lack of clarification/apology on the part of Vassilev that homosexuality is not a problem, nor is it shameful to belong to the LGBT+ community, has provoked angry comments on social networks.
Writer and screenwriter Milena Fuchedjieva commented that he owes an apology not only to homosexuals, “but also to all people with democratic understandings, regardless of whether they support the PP-DB or not. By denying that he is gay - regardless of whether he is lying or telling the truth, without making such a clarification, he places Bulgaria outside the European context, marginalizes gay people and betrays the principles of his own party”. According to her, “while the publicity of being gay is a problem, it will create major political and social problems because it leaves homosexuality behind the scenes”.
Some time ago, performer and composer Ivo Dimchev commented to “24 Chasa” that “recently, many gay personalities have been placed in high positions because they can be very easily controlled”. He and pop folk star Aziz are among the few public figures who have acknowledged their LGBT+ community affiliation.
In 2021 in Germany, in order to preempt tabloids that were about to publish information about his homosexuality, former Berlin mayor Klaus Wowereit said: “I am gay and that is completely okay!” Thus breaking the taboo and making it easier for other politicians to do the same.
Authentic leader
It is not easy for modern politicians to be authentic - it requires daily efforts that go beyond the business routine. One of the youngest prime ministers in the world - New Zealand Labor Party's Jacinda Ardern breastfed her baby in parliament, shared home videos and presentations on Facebook and her newborn daughter, and the family reform package - at the same time. She earned a reputation as an “authentic leader,” but in January 2023 she resigned, arguing that she had “no gas in the tank,” exhausted her ability to lead the country after six years in power. Her aides noted at the time that she had become the target of severe misogyny and a huge amount of malice on social media, and that the next prime minister would do well to limit her public visibility. After interrupting her political career, Ardern also withdrew from social media for a long time.
Intimacy in politics thus turns out to be less a window into the personality than part of a carefully managed public image. And if politicians today seem closer to the people, it is not because politics has become more human, but because humanity has become part of its strategy.
This text expresses the opinion of the author and may not coincide with the positions of the Bulgarian editorial office and the State News Agency as a whole.