Bulgaria: Another Expert Cabinet, Sets GERB Dominance
Boyko Borissov announced that GERB will begin negotiations for an expert cabinet and majority starting Monday. He insists that the government will only be formed with the first mandate, dominated by his party, and that the prime minister, foreign minister, and defense minister must be from GERB. Borissov himself will not run for prime minister to facilitate the negotiations. If these conditions are not met, Bulgaria will head to another election in September.
“There will be a government if the prime minister is from GERB. I will not run for prime minister to ease negotiations,” Borissov clarified. He announced a negotiating team comprising Temenuzka Petkova, Raya Nazaryan, and Denitsa Sacheva, with negotiations starting on Monday. Borissov believes the first mandate is the only chance to form a cabinet, warning that failure to do so will lead to September elections.
Borissov justified the need for GERB‘s dominance in the cabinet by stating that he cannot explain to his supporters why GERB, having won the elections again, should cede key ministerial positions. He confirmed that Mariya Gabriel will not be part of the cabinet and emphasized that GERB will not form a coalition with the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), despite past collaborations on various topics.
Borissov stressed the need for a government within the next seven days, warning of the exhaustion caused by repeated elections. He expressed respect for President Radev but highlighted the importance of avoiding institutional confrontations. Borissov also commented on the resignation of “Yes, Bulgaria” leader Hristo Ivanov, expressing regret and emphasizing the need for statesmanship over ego in these times.
GERB Leads Election with 68 Parliamentary Seats
Bulgaria: GERB Leads with 68 Deputies as Election Commission Confirms Parliamentary Seats
The Central Election Commission (CEC) has announced the mandates for the parliamentary parties in the 50th National Assembly of Bulgaria. GERB will have the most deputies, with a total of 68. The second-largest parliamentary group will be the DPS with 47 deputies, followed by “We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria” (WCC-DB) with 39. “Revival” will have 38 deputies, while the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) will have 19.
The “Greatness” (Velichie) party will have the smallest parliamentary group, with 13 deputies. “There is Such a People” (TISP) will have 16 representatives, though their leader, Slavi Trifonov, will not be among them, as he was removed from the candidate lists by the CEC after submitting an application.
The CEC also reviewed and approved the analysis of inconsistencies after re-entering and comparing data from the sectional election commissions with the district commissions. Four elected members of the European Parliament have opted to remain as MEPs instead of joining the National Assembly: Hristo Petrov from WCC-DB, Ivaylo Valchev from TISP, Kristian Vigenin from BSP, and Stanislav Stoyanov from “Revival.” The CEC has fulfilled their requests and removed them from the parliamentary lists.
