Coalition Under Strain: GERB Seeks a New Parliamentary Majority (Overview)

No personnel changes in the government are planned. On Monday, Prime Minister Rossen Zhelyazkov will meet with the leadership of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and “There Is Such a People” (TISP) to discuss the formation of a consolidated parliamentary majority that would ensure the adoption of next year’s budget and the implementation of key policies.

If BSP and TISP agree, representatives from “MRF – New Beginning” will also join the talks. It is possible that the discussions could lead to the replacement of Parliament Speaker Natalia Kiselova and changes within several parliamentary committees.

This became clear after a meeting between GERB leader Boyko Borissov, Prime Minister Rossen Zhelyazkov, and the party’s executive leadership on October 17.

Prime Minister Zhelyazkov emphasised that local meetings indicate the party does not want early elections.

“Our answer is no, it is not the right time for elections, because if a political decision goes in that direction, it would mean elections in February, at the start of a challenging year, with budgetary issues, euro adoption, and an uncertain geopolitical environment,” Zhelyazkov said.

• Prime Minister Zhelyazkov: It is not the right time for elections

Zhelyazkov explained that the elections in Pazardzhik were a litmus test that a serious conversation was needed in the coalition. Meetings with BSP and "There is Such a People" confirmed the need for the government to have a solid political backing within the coalition.

“We must ensure that responsibility for difficult political decisions is not borne solely by GERB or the coalition minority supported by other formations,” Zhelyazkov added.

Boyko Borissov said he had expected We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (WCC-DB), as part of a Euro-Atlantic coalition, to signal readiness for talks in the current crisis, but this did not happen.

“The only firm support for this government came from Peevski and 'MRF - New Beginning'. That is why I asked Mr Zhelyazkov to meet with our two partners 'There is Such a People' and BSP, who have both signed a cordon against Peevski. We need a fourth partner. But once again, the other two parties have gone into hiding.

What can I tell you – with 100 MPs you cannot pass a budget; with 100 MPs you cannot even ensure a quorum.

“You want me to be the one to say that we’re inviting ‘New Beginning’, so that you can turn around and say, ‘Look, Borissov invited them,’ and then Mirchev (of WCC-DB) can start shouting, ‘There you go – Borissov and Peevski are together.’

The only other alternative is elections.”

Borissov believes that a similar meeting should also take place with “MRF – New Beginning”:

“We should meet with them and make it clear that partnership means that before you shout out about a given issue, you should first consult your partners and consider how it affects them as well.”

Borissov also outlined what kind of changes should be made:

“Either something is done within the framework of Parliament, or not at all. In my view, now is not the time to make changes in the government, but within Parliament such adjustments can be made — to select a majority, to build one. With that majority, you decide which version of the budget will be supported.”

He advised Prime Minister Zhelyazkov that if the BSP and "There is Such a People" agree, they should then jointly hold talks with “MRF – New Beginning”.

Boyko Borissov – Chair of GERB:

“If they’re against it, if they don’t want it, if it turns out GERB is doing it alone — I’m against that. If There Is such a People and BSP are on board, then you invite and talk; if they’re not, we won’t do it alone. You invite them — yes or no, but an answer must be given. We have to be honest with people. I don’t like hypocrisy — and what WCC–DB are doing is hypocrisy. They’re doing it deliberately, refusing to extend a hand, to make sure things turn out just like this. I’ll accept the fight with full force. In the end, we’ll see — war does not determine who is right – only who is left.”

From the meeting of GERB’s Executive Committee, it also became clear that the head of the Pazardzhik police, Senior Commissioner Daniel Barakov, had been dismissed due to irregularities during the municipal council elections in the district city. Borissov commented that if this had not happened, he would have demanded the resignation of the Minister of interior, Daniel Mitov.

Borissov Did Not Request My Resignation, Says Minister of Interior Daniel Mitov