BSP leader after receiving the third mandate to form a government: We will do whatever it takes

President Rumen Radev on January 16 handed the third exploratory mandate for forming a government to the Bulgarian Socialist Party, BSP for Bulgaria.

President Radev handed over a mandate to BSP to seek to form a government

"We will do whatever is necessary. The most important thing is to have a plan. We foresee 4 steps - today we will decide when we will convene the National Council, it will be this week, to discuss which parties in Parliament we will negotiate with. We will ask for a mandate to negotiate with all of them. The third step will be to invite the chairpersons of the other parties to a leadership meeting to clarify whether there is a will to have a government or are we playing games and transferring the hot potato in order not to take responsibility for early elections," said BSP leader Kornelia Ninova, who received the folder with the mandate.

In her words, the fourth and next steps depend on this meeting. If we reach an agreement that guarantees a majority, we will start working on the tasks of this government - its term, its composition - expert or political, the BSP leader added.

According to Kornelia Ninova, there is still a chance for a regular government within the 48th National Assembly.

"We imagine it by maintaining different positions - ideological and political, to look for what brings us together and what the crisis now requires us to solve most urgently - inflation, prices, incomes, the Recovery and Resilience Plan, a new budget for this year. There are things that urgently need to be done that can bring us together. That is what we will look for, not dividing lines," Ninova added.

She explained that the mandate given to the BSP is a difficult task, but not impossible. She clarified that they do not have a candidate for prime minister and this will be discussed with the parties that agree to talk.

"We will hold the mandate for a reasonable time. If we agree that we can form a cabinet we will need more time to specify tasks, composition and structure. If it is seen that there is no agreement at the leadership meeting, let everybody come out and have their say and we will return it. The President raised the issue internally of passing laws in Parliament because a quick dissolution of the National Assembly would deprive us of many opportunities. We are ready to work and talk with everyone," Kornelia Ninova said.

We have no intention, if we manage to form a government, to continue the policies of the caretaker cabinet, BSP leader added.