Bulgaria: Borissov sparks political drama that sinks sittings of Cabinet, Parliament

A political drama sparked by Boiko Borissov, leader of the GERB-UDF coalition that holds the mandate to govern, resulted in the cancellation of the Cabinet meeting that had been scheduled for October 15 and the failure the same day of securing a quorum for Parliament to sit.

On October 14, in lengthy and emotional remarks at GERB-UDF headquarters in the presence of Prime Minister Rossen Zhelyakov and coalition Cabinet ministers and MPs, Borissov called for “reformatting” of the Cabinet and hit out at the government’s minority partners.

The catalyst for these remarks was GERB-UDF’s poor showing in this past weekend’s municipal elections in Pazardzhik, which were predictably and comfortably won by the Movement for Rights and Freedoms – New beginning party of Magnitsky Act-sanctioned Delyan Peevski.

Though not formally part of the national governing coalition, Peevski has been keeping the government in place thus far.

Borissov said: “We will not be the first to break the coalition, but we will not stand here like this either. Everyone thought that they could do whatever they wanted on my back. My back is big, but slippery”.

“Every day they say ‘Borissov and Peevski’ – what does Borissov have to do with this government, Peevski is not part of the government either. That’s why the Prime Minister should tighten up, reformat, including the Speaker of the National Assembly – a year has already passed, enough is enough for them.”

This remark has been widely seen as calling into question the political future of Natalia Kiselova, the Bulgarian Socialist Party – United Left MP who is Parliament’s presiding officer.

“The red light has come on for us. Either the government will work together, or we will no longer provide the quorum,” Borissov said.

The same evening, the government information service said that Zhelyazkov had cancelled Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting.

On October 14, Peevski said: “I have very carefully familiarised myself with the position of the leader of GERB, Mr. Boiko Borissov, and I share his assessment that a turning point has come for the governance of Bulgaria”.

“A moment on which depends whether we will have a stable and secure state government or whether we will allow intriguers, fair-goers and enthusiasts to throw the country into another early election. And not because we are afraid of elections – on the contrary, we have proven it,” Peevski said.

“And because “MRF-New Beginning” is at the pinnacle of responsibility to the people, to the state. And that is why we invariably continue to support the government of Rossen Zhelyazkov, even though we do not have a single minister, deputy minister, or any other position in the executive branch,” he said.

Peevski said that he would send a negotiating team in the coming days “and I expect an invitation from Mr Zhelyazkov… as well as from the representatives of the other parties in the ruling structure for talks”.

“As for the post of Speaker of the National Assembly, the democratic tradition is for it to be for the largest political force, and that is GERB. Therefore, I declare our readiness to support the appointment of Mr. Borissov, appointed by the GERB Party and its chairman, as Speaker of the National Assembly of the Republic of Bulgaria,” Peevski said.

On October 15, the BSP – United Left said: “Our categorical position is that a new political crisis would have a destructive effect on social peace and key systems in the state. As well as calling into question what the government has achieved so far”.

“From the very beginning of this government, we have put aside narrow-party and political egos in the name of the public interest. We believe that each of our partners in the joint government has the same principled position. Our experience of working together to date shows this,” the BSP-United Left said.

“Government restructuring, blocking the National Assembly, new elections – these are alternatives. On the stability-destabilisation axis, however, they tip the scales dangerously towards destabilisation. And from there, the step towards economic and social crisis will be quick and easy,” it said.

“Following the statements made yesterday, we expect the party-mandate holder to submit its proposals to the Joint Governance Council, and we will make our decisions in the collective bodies of the party and in conversation with our coalition partners.”

On October 15, opposition parliamentary groups We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria, pro-Russian Vuzrazhdane and populist-nationalist Mech called for the government’s resignation and accused GERB-UDF and MRF – New Beginning of behind-the-scenes collusion and undermining stability.

The Ahmed Dogan loyalists of the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms, which initially supported the government when it was voted into office in January but then withdrew its support, said on October 15 that they would not be surprised if the coalition between GERB and MRF – New Beginning is made official.

Parliament’s scheduled sitting on October 15 did not go ahead after only 61 out of 240 MPs registered as present. Kiselova said that the next sitting was scheduled for October 16.