Bulgaria’s newly-elected Parliament to hold first sitting on April 15
Bulgarian head of state President Roumen Radev has signed a decree convening the first sitting of the 45th National Assembly on April 15 at 9am, the President’s office said on April 13.
The announcement came a few hours after the names of the 240 elected MPs were published in the State Gazette, following Bulgaria’s regular parliamentary elections held on April 4.
Boiko Borissov’s GERB will have 75 MPs in the next Parliament, followed by ITN, the party formed around cable television presenter Slavi Trifonov, with 51 seats.
The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) won 43 seats and the predominantly ethnic Turk Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) – 30 seats.
Hristo Ivanov’s Democratic Bulgaria coalition will have 27 seats and the coalition between former ombudsman Maya Manolova and “The Poison Trio”, the organisers of the anti-government protests in summer 2020, won 14 seats.
Speaking on April 12, Radev said that he would follow the procedures set out in the constitution regarding attempts to form a government, and would not delay in doing so.
The first mandate will be handed to Borissov, as the leader of the group that won the largest share of seats.
Senior members of GERB have said in recent days that Borissov will propose a Cabinet to Parliament. Names of the nominees have not been announced. Borissov’s proposal is not expected to be approved.
The second mandate will go to Trifonov, as leader of the second-largest group. Trifonov has made no announcement, as of April 12, regarding proposing a government and senior figures in other parliamentary groups say that no negotiations have been held with them.
Should Trifonov fail in an attempt to get a government approved, Radev has a free hand to offer a mandate to a parliamentary group of his choice.
If that attempt fails, the constitution obliges Radev to dissolve Parliament, set a date for fresh elections, and appoint a caretaker government.
The Sofia’s Globe factfile about Bulgaria’s April 2021 National Assembly elections may be found at this link.
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