Borissov sees ‘long life’ for Bulgaria’s new Zhelyazkov government
GERB-UDF leader Boiko Borissov told reporters on January 16 that he foresees a long political life for the Rossen Zhelyakov government, voted into office by Bulgaria’s Parliament earlier in the day.
The coalition government has Zhelyazkov as Prime Minister, with three deputy prime ministers, one each from the groups participating directly in the government – GERB-UDF, the Bulgarian Socialist Party – United Left, and ITN.
The Ahmed Dogan loyalists of the Democracy, Rights and Freedoms were the fourth of the four groups to vote in favour of the government.
This is the first GERB-led government since Borissov – three times Bulgaria’s Prime Minister – left office in mid-May 2021. A factor that enabled negotiations to result in an elected government was Borissov backing down on his initial insistence that he should return as Prime Minister.
Borissov, who has maintained silence during the recent weeks of negotiations, said: “Of course, a government, especially one with Prime Minister Borissov, would be much stronger, but I will help my colleagues with everything, because this is my first echelon of the party”.
He said that he had given his “strongest people” so that the government would be strong.
Borissov rejected allegations of Delyan Peevski – the leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms – New Beginning and who is sanctioned by the United States and United Kingdom for large-scale corruption – having influence on the new government.
“When you bring Delyan Peevski’s biggest enemy into the government – Ahmed Dogan, he cannot be your friend. Let me tell you that we will not work with Peevski, we will not work with Peevski and we have proven it,” Borissov said.
He said that the door remained open for We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria.
WCC-DB placed second after GERB-UDF in Bulgaria’s October 2024 early parliamentary elections.
The WCC component declined to enter into negotiations with GERB-UDF. DB did, but GERB-UDF broke off talks over DB’s refusal to accept Zhelyazkov as candidate PM.
Borissov said: “I am not at war with anyone”.
“The state is in an extremely bad state at the moment. At least we will make an attempt and I am convinced that we will be able to do two to three things,” Borissov said.
“Both the ITN and the BSP really wanted, as we did, for the WCC and the DB to join. The door is open for them,” he said.
WCC-DB’s Atanas Atanassov said: “We are already in opposition and have very serious differences with GERB regarding priorities, otherwise we would be part of the coalition”.
“One of the big problems, because of which we do not have common actions with GERB, is precisely that they do not create conditions for countering corruption,” Atanassov said.
He said that for WCC-DB, another problem was the support for the government from the Dogan group and he said that there were ministers in the Cabinet who were dependent on Peevski.
“Borissov, by creating this coalition, practically brought together the divided MRF, in spite of the fact that he had explained that there is no good MRF,” Atanassov said.
“The New Beginning (Peevski’s group) voted against the government, but has ministers, and the DRF (the Dogan loyalists) voted for the government, but has no ministers,” he said.
(Photo of Borissov via his Facebook page)
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