After the consultations with the Bulgarian President: Will there be a new government with the third mandate?

Can the Parliament form a cabinet with the third mandate and resolve the crises that the country is facing currently? Those were the main topics during today’s consultations, which President Rumen Radev conducted with the parliamentary represented groups.

“We Continue the Change” declared that they will hold negotiations to secure a majority for a cabinet with all the politicians in the Parliament, who are not dependent on powers behind the scenes. For the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) the cabinet should be political and not expert, so that it is clear who holds the responsibility. Politicians from “There is Such a People”are open to dialog with their former partners, but continue to insist that the leaders step aside. “Democratic Bulgaria” defined the third mandate as “a mandate of dialog”. For them, the negotiations should be within the coalition that fell apart, while it is good that the political leaders step aside.

GERB, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) and “Vazrazhdane” do not see a working formula in the current Parliament.

The Bulgarian President, Rumen Radev, said that he is conducting the consultations with the purpose of finding a union around national targets and priorities and with the expectation of utilising the final hope - that a government is created with the third mandate.

“Apparently, after the new red lines, this is not an easy task, but the politicians in the Parliament and the government are there with the will of the Bulgarian citizens, who expect dialog, expect compromises, understanding and hard work, so that their problems are resolved. The necessary thing is not just a deal for a new government, but an effective ruling with a strategic horizon, which undertakes and completes the necessary reforms. This is the reason why it is very important to hear the stances of all the parliamentary groups on how they see the formula to exit the political crisis, because it is obvious we cannot deal with the other crises without resolving this main issue first,” said the head of state.

The President wanted to hear the viewpoint of “We Continue the Change” on whether there is a possibility for the current National Assembly to form a cabinet which is based on values and not on political bargain. He asked them whether they would support a government, formed with a mandate from another political power.

Kiril Petrov claimed that “We Continue the Change” would like for the political crisis to be avoided.

“We clearly stated and continue to hold the opinion that we are open to converse with everyone from all the political powers that can make decisions by themselves in the Parliament and are not dependent on actions behind the scenes which are not in the Parliament. This is our willingness and we will continue and hope that, if you choose a coalition partner of ours to receive the third mandate, we will support these conversations and stay open for dialog, without giving the backstage ruling in Bulgaria the opportunity to seize the next government, of course,” said Petkov.

To the question whether “We Continue the Change” will support a government with a Prime Minister from their group, like Nikola Minchev for example, the outgoing Prime Minister Petkov answered:

“Personal applications are definitely not of importance. This is not important at the moment, the current most pressing issue is to make sure we have a parliament which can support this government, a parliament of people, that can make decisions.”

The second largest parliamentary group, GERB-UDF, confirmed that they demand early elections. Rumen Radev asked them how they see the resolving of the crises and whether these elections would halt industry growth, registered by the government.

“With your vast ruling and parliamentary experience, you fully understand the meaning of going to elections at such critical moments, to be left without a parliament, to have transitional periods in which the administration might not function effectively. It is interesting for us how you find that the people’s problems will be resolved along with the issue of power without a delay,” stressed the President.

“We are here with all the experience and expertise that we hold in our parliamentary group and we are ready to participate in the consultations to search for a way out of the crises. However, this does not mean that our stance on the impossibility of a stable majority in the 47th National Assembly has changed,” declared Dessislava Atanassova, chairperson of the parliamentary group GERB-UDF.

After the consultations, GERB-UDF said that they stated before the president one of the reasons for the crises, which, according to them, is the fact that a few families rule the country as their own private enterprise or startup company.

“Is it a secret, is it the truth that the family of Mr. Lorer rules simultaneously the Ministry of Innovation and Growth, the National Health Insurance Fund and the Ministry of Finance. A husband and his wife. Is it a secret or is it the truth that the Prime Minister and the Head of his cabinet are in some sort of a relationship,” added Dessislava Atanassova.

The Movement for Rights and Freedom (MRF) confirmed their viewpoint that new elections are necessary for the political ruling formula to be changed.

“How do you see your role, your political group - what is your recipe for exiting the crisis, for a dialog to be possible,” asked the Head of State.

“For a new house, a new base is necessary. The previous basis gave a wrong model, a wrong house. There should be early elections to reformulate something new. It is very important what there is to do before the early elections and we carry our responsibility,” said Mustafa Karadayi, chairman of MRF.

After the meeting, Mustafa Karadayi expressed hope that their viewpoint was useful to the president and again criticized Kiril Petkov’s government.

“I believe there has not been a worse cabinet than this one for the last 32 years. I think even Zhan Videnov’s one was not as bad,” said the chairman of MRF.

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) arrived a minute late and the president had to wait for them. Kornelia Ninova declared that if they receive the mandate they will make all the efforts to fulfil it. They stand behind the programme, which was created during the first mandate. They will not have conversations with GERB-UDF and MRF.

“The political parties continue to draw dividing lines. This is why it is important that we hear your formula for exiting the crisis - with who you will enter in dialog and what programme will you choose, so that there is a stable government which is capable of making the important decisions,” said Rumen Radev.

“First and foremost, we think that the Prime Minister should come from “We Continue the Change”. They are the first political power and this is what is correct in a democracy - for the first one to choose the Prime Minister. Secondly, we prefer a political cabinet, rather than an expert one, because this translates as a clear bearing of political responsibility,” emphasised Kornelia Ninova, chairperson of BSP.

To a question after the meeting, Ninova answered that there was not an indication that the mandate would go to them and added:

“I told you that the basis of the negotiations will not be names, but the programme, actions, policies and laws.”

“There is Such a People” will try to form a government as well, if they receive the mandate. They are ready to negotiate with the three political parties that they formed the previous coalition with until recently, but hold the opinion that this coalition should be structured differently. According to “There is Such a People”, a cabinet of experts is a better option.

“The decision to leave the government came from your political party, which faced the 47th National Assembly with the task of creating a new ruling majority or new elections. Around which priorities do you see a majority forming, are you open to a majority and with which political parties,” asked the President.

“It would be good, if possible, for the political leaders to step aside and for a new government to be created in this situation, a government that could deal with the most urgent issues in the span of a year, a year and a half or 6 months - however long it is estimated. The government should move forward with people who are more experts, rather than political figures,” declared the chairman of “There is Such a People”, Toshko Yordanov.

According to “There is Such a People”, the President should present the mandate to the party that can find the most support.

“The President is in a very difficult position at the moment, he has to show himself as a uniter, a middleman, and his assessment is very important in this hard moment. It is not a coincidence that the Constitution brings us into this hard moment, it spins the roulette again, because it gives an opportunity - a second chance for all of us,” said Iva Miteva.

“Democratic Bulgaria” will work to restore political dialogue. If they receive the mandate, they will conduct negotiations with their previous coalition partners. They hold the opinion that the candidate for the Prime Minister’s position has to gather a lot of trust. The key task is to restore the majority.

“You said you would make efforts to form a government within the third mandate. You also converse with all potential partners. How do you see the formula for exiting the crisis,” asked Rumen Radev.

“We propose seeing whether the political leaders can take a step aside, but if the cabinet is to be political, we will not insist on anything else. We have precise ideas, but first we need to restore the majority and, on this basis, we can move forward,” said the chairman of “Democratic Bulgaria” Hristo Ivanov.

The best way out of the critical situation is early elections, according to “Vazrazhdane”. They hold the opinion that the current parliament is depleted.

“You declared early elections, but the problems remain and there is a dangerous possibility that, after these elections, the same configuration returns to the parliament,” noted Rumen Radev.

“The current parliament in its current configuration will not be a working one. It is not certain whether the same configuration will repeat itself after elections, only the Bulgarian electorate can decide that,” responded the chairman of “Vazrazhdane” Kostadin Kostadinov.

It is still not known when and to who the president will give the third mandate.

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