Maxim Behar: Do politicians know how to communicate with their voters?

Interview on NOVA News in the program “Your Day”

Maxim Behar: Do politicians know how to communicate with their voters?
Interview on NOVA News in the program “Your Day”

At the height of yet another election campaign, the question of the relationship between politicians and voters once again comes to the forefront. In an interview for the program Your Day on NOVA News, PR expert Maxim Behar questions whether today’s political leaders can communicate effectively with the public at all. Together with Associate Professor Alexander Hristov, he outlines a picture of repetitive messaging, lack of creativity, and an increasingly limited real dialogue with voters.

Lora: Your Day continues, dear viewers, on the political field. Today PR experts Maxim Behar and Associate Professor Alexander Hristov joined us. Hello, gentlemen, and welcome. Thank you for being here.

Maxim: Good afternoon.

Lora: We might need PR guidance and more communication expertise in this campaign. What do you think?

Maxim: Who are “we” that need it? Bulgaria.

Lora: Actually, I meant the political parties.

Maxim: From what I see, they do not need any PR advice at all.

Lora: Why?

Maxim: They say the same things. They behave on social media the same way they did 10 years ago. They speak in vague terms.

Lora: That sounds quite sad, Mr. Behar.

Maxim: That is the situation. I do not know whether it is sad or amusing, because we have already had eight elections.

Lora: Exactly, in five years.

Maxim: Five years, eighth in a row. We are so trained now to go vote and to listen to promises, especially the latter—that I have no idea whether any political formation even wants to change or bring something new to the table. Here we have a new player with old messages and the same old way of communication. There is not even a small spark of creativity or anything interesting. To return to your question, Lora—no, they do not need PR consultants. And even if they did, someone would just write their press releases and make boring social media posts. That is how we will live—we will vote on April 19, and on April 20 we will wake up and see what happens.

Lora: Do politicians devalue this field—the science you teach, Associate Professor Hristov—before your students? You are preparing young people who see meaning, necessity, and importance in this profession.

Alexander: Since teaching was mentioned, I am reminded of Paul Watzlawick—a brilliant communication theorist. He says: “One cannot not communicate.” In other words, even the absence of communication conveys meaning. And I think one of the key things we see in this campaign is exactly that. To answer your question directly—students are much more drawn to corporate communications, influencer marketing, show business, and so on. I am not sure how many of them want to work in political PR—those cases are rare. One reason is the toxic environment in politics, which takes a long time to clear. It could happen faster—within a year or two—but there are still layers built up over time. Another issue is what we see in practice—strong and significant limitations during election campaigns, while for the rest of the time the discussion is conducted in a low-level, almost street-like language. So, do politicians need PR specialists? If they do, they must listen to them. We would never advise politicians to insult each other in parliament, regardless of their political differences. Simply because attacking your opponent does not make you more positive, it only shifts the focus onto others. And I suspect that most of the current political communication is based precisely on this—negative profiling of the opponent.

Maxim: There is something else—our business is secondary. To build a successful political project or make a politician look good, speak meaningfully, have charisma and appeal, they need to possess those qualities themselves.

Lora: Charisma cannot be created—you must have it.

Maxim: Exactly. If you want to be a leader, you must carry leadership within you. If you want to speak meaningfully, no matter what the best PR expert writes for you, you will still sound unconvincing if it is not genuine. The people we work with are the real carriers of what should be presented during elections. And when we have a series of dull individuals repeating the same things, sometimes with slightly more colorful language about their opponents, our work becomes meaningless. Still, we operate in a professional field recognized as both science and practice, and we would like to apply creative approaches to people who deserve it. But many of today’s politicians are in politics just to appear on TV, gain visibility, or secure some advantage. And what we are seeing in Bulgaria is a global trend.

Lora: Gentlemen, please stay with us—we will briefly interrupt a traffic police briefing related to Easter travel.

Lora: We will continue our conversation.

Maxim: Watching that, with all due respect to the police—I wish there were an “election police.” Someone standing there and saying: “This candidate is lying.” Because we could check—through ChatGPT or other AI tools—and see whether they kept their promises.

Lora: Can journalists take on that role?

Maxim: Yes, why not? Just like there used to be “fashion police,” we could have “election police” reminding us of what was promised and what was delivered.

Lora: I wonder if any politicians would remain.

Maxim: Well, however many—others will come.

Lora: Back to the campaign—there seems to be no leader debates again. Instead, we see clips from street encounters shared on social media. Is that a better PR strategy?

Maxim: It helps voters see where candidates stand, but I am not sure how useful it is for the politicians themselves.

Alexander: Social media turns dialogue into monologue. Politicians prefer posting clips rather than engaging in real debates because it is easier and more controlled. But what follows? Nothing.

Lora: In Hungary, for example, candidates present concrete programs and take responsibility publicly—this does not happen here.

Maxim: Hungary is different—there are two dominant political forces. In Bulgaria, the landscape is fragmented. It is unlikely any party will get more than 20–25% of the vote.

Alexander: That fragmentation creates a desire for stability, which can lead to dangerous ideas like a “strong hand” or presidential rule. PR specialists should not just shape public image but also influence policymaking by anticipating public reaction. This should happen continuously, not only during elections. What people need most is a sense of directional horizon. Without it, they drift from one “messiah” to another.

Lora: Final words, Mr. Behar.

Maxim: Years ago, we could imagine a roundtable of the leading parties agreeing on national priorities. Today, that seems impossible—especially due to divisions over global conflicts like the war in Ukraine. Despite this, we will end up with a political picture like the current one—and we will see who stands where.

Lora: Thank you for this analysis. We will revisit this discussion after the campaign. Happy holidays!

Maxim: Happy holidays—peace.

Lora: Amen to that. Stay with us.

You can find the full interview here: https://www.maximbehar.com/bg/video/432/maksim-behar-dali-politicite-znayat-kak-da-obshtuvat-s-izbiratelite-si