Bulgarian President Yotova begins talks with parties ahead of naming caretaker PM

Bulgarian head of state President Iliyana Yotova began on February 3 a series of consultations with parliamentary groups ahead of designating a caretaker Prime Minister.

Five office-bearers have told Yotova that they were willing to be appointed caretaker Prime Minister: Bulgarian National Bank deputy governor Andrei Gyurov, Deputy Ombudsman Maria Filipova, Audit Office head Dimitar Glavchev (twice before caretaker Prime Minister) and Audit Office deputy heads Maria Nikolova and Silvia Kadreva.

The first group at the February 3 consultations was Parliament’s largest, GERB-UDF, represented by National Assembly Speaker Raya Nazaryan, Denitsa Sacheva and Kostadin Angelov.

GERB-UDF suggested to Yotova that she choose from among 239 members of Parliament whom she would like to appoint as caretaker Prime Minister, and then Parliament would elect that MP as its Speaker, making the individual eligible for appointment.

Yotova reacted to this without enthusiasm, saying that the election of a Speaker was entirely in the hands of MPs and she believed in the separation of powers.

During last week’s consultations with officials eligible for appointment, Nazaryan was among those who refused to be considered.

Yotova said that she had no intention of putting off the date for the early parliamentary elections and emphasised the need for stability and predictability in Bulgaria.

The delegation from Parliament’s second-largest group, We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria, consisted of the parliamentary groups co-leaders Nikolai Denkov and Nadezhda Yordanova, WCC leader Assen Vassilev, Yes Bulgaria co-leaders Ivailo Mirchev and Bozhidar Bozhanov and Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria leader Atanas Atanassov.

Yotova, referring to the 2023 amendments to the constitution that limit the head of state’s choice of a caretaker Prime Minister, told the delegation: “I will assign a mandate to one of these candidates with the clear awareness that in a different situation, under the old texts, perhaps my choice would have been different”.

The delegation outlined to Yotova what it saw as the tasks facing the forthcoming caretaker government.

“First of all, there must be an interior minister who will ensure fair elections. Second, there must be a justice minister who will propose a new acting Prosecutor General. Third, it must be ensured that the money allocated to municipalities is not used to buy votes,” Mirchev said.

Mirchev and Bozhanov said that the caretaker government should “turn off the tap on the Borissov – Peevski model”, a reference to GERB-UDF leader Boiko Borissov and Magnitsky Act-sanctioned Delyan Peevski, leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms – New Beginning.

WCC-DB said that the caretaker government should prevent a repeat of the elections organised by Glavchev’s caretaker cabinet, which were partially annulled due to numerous violations.

Vassilev warned that the caretaker cabinet will have to ensure that three billion euro under the Recovery and Resilience Plan are not lost by summer 2026 because of unfinished reforms. He said that there were 40 items of legislation remaining to be approved.

“The other task is to restore trust in our European partners. Words are already being heard that Bulgaria does not have an Anti-Corruption Commission, there is a Prosecutor General who the Bulgarian court does not consider legitimate,” he said.

Vassilev said that there is a danger that the EU will trigger Article 7 against Bulgaria due to a violation of the rule of law.

He called on the caretaker cabinet to prepare for renegotiating the exemption of Lukoil’s Bulgarian refinery from US sanctions against Russia.

Denkov recommended that incoming caretaker ministers immediately check “what mines are planted in each ministry” and publicly announce them, along with their work on organising the parliamentary elections.

WCC-DB said after the talks with Yotova that no names had been discussed, neither of the caretaker PM nor the ministers.

Yotova’s consultations with parliamentary groups are to continue on February 4, with meetings with MRF – New Beginning, the Bulgarian Socialist Party – United Left, and ITN.

The President’s office said that Vuzrazhdane had been invited to attend talks on February 4. On February 2, the pro-Russian party said that it would not attend the consultations, and called on Yotova to immediately appoint a caretaker PM and without delay decree an election date.

(Photos: president.bg)