Question mark over future of government amid Bulgaria’s political drama

The political drama sparked by GERB-UDF leader Boiko Borissov, whose coalition holds the mandate to govern, has left the future of the government in question.

With Borissov’s MPs and others from the de facto ruling coalition refusing to ensure a quorum, October 16 was the second consecutive day that the National Assembly’s scheduled sitting did not proceed.

Borissov triggered the political drama in a lengthy and emotional reaction on October 14 to his coalition’s poor showing in local elections in Pazardzhik.

He has called for a “reformatting” of the government, a call endorsed by Magnitsky Act-sanctioned Delyan Peevski, leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms – New Beginning, who holds the government in place.

Peevski, speaking to reporters on October 16, said that his party was “always ready for negotiations and to share responsibility”.

Peevski said that he had spoken to Prime Minister Rossen Zhelyazkov: “I’m waiting for them, they’re supposed to have a decision by Monday about what they’re going to do, I guess he’s waiting for Borissov. It’s all in Borisov’s hands whether he’ll throw the country into the abyss”.

Asked if he wanted ministers in the Cabinet if it was reformatted, Peevski said: “If there is a need to share responsibility in governance and GERB is concerned about this, we are ready to take responsibility and will always be ready to govern Bulgaria for the benefit of the people.”

President Roumen Radev, who routinely criticises the government, told reporters on October 16 that the events of the past day were “cheap political theatre”.

Radev said that society is witnessing Borissov capitulating to Peevski and handing over power to him.

“This illegitimate and anti-democratic action is taking place in front of the people, but not with the consent of the voters, including the people from GERB who did not vote for Peevski’s party,” he said.

Radev said that it must finally be understood that the voters are not serfs.

“No one has ever allowed themselves to behave so humiliatingly with the Bulgarian Prime Minister”, he said, referring to Borissov’s behaviour on October 14 when addressing a meeting at GERB headquarters attended by Zhelyazkov and other senior Cabinet and party figures.

“The Speaker of the National Assembly, has been reduced to fruit and vegetables,” Radev said, referring to Borissov’s Monday comments about Natalia Kiselova’s perambulations around Bulgaria to attend various events.

“This entire one-man show was a triumph of the abnormality in Bulgarian politics”, Radev said.

“The power is not in the institutions, but in two people who exchange it back and forth, and this cannot continue any longer,” he said.

On October 16, Zhelyazkov attended two events at schools in Pernik, events that were closed to the media. Emerging afterwards, he declined to comment on Borissov’s statements about reformatting the government.

The regular Wednesday meeting of the Cabinet that had been scheduled for October 15 was cancelled the night before, and as of the early afternoon of October 16, there was no announcement when it would meet.

(Photo: parliament.bg)