Bulgaria’s two largest parliamentary groups no closer on government formation
Bulgaria’s two largest parliamentary groups – Boiko Borissov’s centre-right GERB-UDF and the reformist We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria – appear no closer together on the way forward to getting a government elected.
This emerged from President Roumen Radev’s December 10 first day of consultations with parliamentary groups ahead of handing over a mandate to seek to form a government. He met, successively, with GERB-UDF and WCC-DB.
Borissov is insisting that he should be Prime Minister, a scenario that repeatedly has been rejected by WCC-DB and other parliamentary groups.
WCC-DB has made a condition of talks with GERB-UDF that Borissov’s coalition signs a declaration on a “cordon sanitaire” around Delyan Peevski, the controversial figure sanctioned by the US and UK for corruption, a step that GERB-UDF has not taken and shows no signs of taking.
From what WCC-DB co-leader Kiril Petkov told Radev, the variance between WCC and DB on whether to agree to negotiations with GERB-UDF was confirmed.
Petkov said that DB would be left alone in negotiations with GERB-UDF if Borissov’s group does not sign the declaration for a cordon sanitaire around Peevski.
At the start of the day’s talks, Radev asked Borissov when he wanted to receive the first mandate.
Borissov said that if Radev’s programme allowed, he wanted to receive the mandate on December 16.
The GERB-UDF leader said that talks with other parties on the election of a government would begin this week.
“If we don’t understand each other this week, we won’t understand each other next week,” Borissov said.
He said that GERB-UDF have made many compromises in recent weeks.
Radev said that GERB-UDF had the “challenging task” of forming a majority in a very fragmented Parliament.
“You have made a significant contribution to the election of the Speaker of Parliament, which made it possible to start these consultations,” Radev said.
Speaking after the meeting with Radev, Borissov said that GERB-UDF would not support the formation of a government on the basis of a second or third mandate.
Borissov hit out emotionally at Petkov when asked about the request by acting Prosecutor-General Borislav Sarafov for the removal of Petkov’s immunity from prosecution that he has as an MP. Sarafov made the request in connection with allegations that Petkov, when Prime Minister, had exceeded his authority in 2022 in ordering the arrest of Borissov and two others.
In the WCC-DB meeting with Radev, parliamentary group co-leader Nikolai Denkov said that the main task of every National Assembly is to elect a regular government and WCC-DB is aware of its role in this process.
Denkov said that the first priority at the moment is the adoption of a Budget that will allow the state to function normally. He said that the adoption of the laws related to the Recovery and Resilience Plan is also very important.
Parliamentary group co-leader Nadezhda Yordanova, a DB figure, said that in order to have a stable government, it must be supported by a broad parliamentary majority.
“We see that it is possible to have a pro-European and anti-corruption majority in this Parliament,” Yordanova said, adding that the coalition will work to implement the formula presented in its election campaign – a government structured around pro-European priorities – Schengen, the euro zone.
“We believe that in this fragmentation of political life, only a Prime Minister who is equidistant [from all parties] and mutually acceptable can fulfill this mission,” she said. Borissov repeatedly has rejected the concept of an “equidistant” Prime Minister.
“We will conduct the negotiation process responsibly and with humility, but not at any cost,” Yordanova said.
Radev has scheduled meetings with the remaining parliamentary groups on December 11 and 12, with one exception – he has not invited Peevski’s. The Presidency confirmed to local media that omitting Peevski’s group was a deliberate decision.
(Photo of Radev’s meeting with the GERB-UDF declaration: president.bg)
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