Contact Group: Euro-Atlantic parties have constitutional majority in the 48th National Assembly

The Euro-Atlantic parties have a constitutional majority in the 48th National Assembly, but they are extremely opposed to each other, Rosen Plevneliev (former President of Bulgaria 2012-2017) on October 24 told a press conference, which summarised the results after the end of the series of meetings with the parliamentary parties.

The invitations for talks were responded by GERB-UDF, Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) and "Bulgaria Ascending". "We Continue the Change", "BSP for Bulgaria" and "Democratic Bulgaria" declined to take part in the meetings. "Vazrazhdane" was not invited.

The aim of the talks is to find points of contact for forming a government regardless of the mandate and format, Rosen Plevneliev declared. According to him, defending Euro-Atlantic values are key to tackling the challenges in this country.

"There is not just a majority, but a constitutional majority on those values. But these Euro-Atlantic parliamentary forces are deeply divided - sometimes artificially and are extremely opposed to each other. I would very much like to see unity at such a moment. We will continue to fight for a strong Bulgaria in the EU," Plevneliev said.

"As geopolitics dictates the agenda of Bulgaria and the world, again geopolitics can provide the solution at home," Solomon Passy, President of the Atlantic Club of Bulgaria,added.

Rosen Plevneliev presented a draft declaration, which he will submit to the Parliament in the hope that it will be discussed in the plenary.

The document sets out:

• Making efforts to return parliamentarism and form a regular government to avoid the risk of authoritarian rule.
• Adoption of the bills related to the Recovery and Resileince Plan.
• Measures to fight corruption, such as transparency in all public procurement and tenders.
• Judicial and legal reform with a constitutional majority, based on an institutional rather than a subjective approach.
• Condemn attempts to change the constitutional model and introduce a presidential republic, as this risks authoritarian rule.
• Deepening Bulgaria's European integration as the sole guarantor of these values.
• Joining the euro area and Schengen.
• Approval of the second order for F-16 fighter jets to complement the air force squadron.
• Rearm the Bulgarian army and work to fulfil NATO commitments and ensure stability in the Black Sea region.
• Condemning Russian aggression in Ukraine, not recognising the Ukrainian territories annexed by Russia and calling on Moscow to withdraw its troops.
• Cybersecurity measures, including against hybrid warfare.

The text of the declaration has also been agreed with representatives of the political forces that refused to meet with the contact group, Plevneliev said.

The contact group led by Plevneliev and Passy was formed on the initiative of GERB leader Boyko Borissov and aims to negotiate the formation of a government. It was announced by him during the party's first news conference after the October 2 early general elections.

Written refusals to participate in the talks were sent by "BSP for Bulgaria", "We Continue the Change" and "Democratic Bulgaria".