“Democratic Bulgaria” at Consultations with President: As Opposition, We Will Monitor That the “Peevski–Borissov” Model Is Dismatled

President Iliana Iotova on May 5 received representatives of the parliamentary group “Democratic Bulgaria” at the Presidency on Dondukov 2, as part of consultations with parliamentary forces ahead of handing over the first mandate to seek to form a government.

“For the first time in more than 20 years, Bulgaria will have an absolute majority in Parliament. This brings both advantages and challenges.

Given the changed political representation, and the split of the coalition into two parliamentary groups, how do you see the best way to respond to people’s expectations?

We have followed your messages to Bulgarian citizens and we hope that, going forward, together with the majority and the other opposition parties, those points of convergence can be found which we, the Bulgarian citizens, expect,” President Iotova said.

She noted that over the years the party had consistently spoken about the fight against corruption, dismantling the oligarchic model in the country, tackling organised crime, and the need for judicial reform. She also pointed to their consistent support for Bulgaria’s European orientation and the untapped opportunities offered by the EU for economic development.

“We would also like to hear your position on the state budget,” she added.

Bozhidar Bozhanov of “Democratic Bulgaria” said the Bulgarian public had delivered its verdict in the elections, assigning his party the role of opposition.

“Bulgarian citizens have spoken in the elections and have assigned us the role of opposition. Regarding the separation of parliamentary groups, our position was clearly stated — we consider this to be a less effective approach and a mistake. However, the commitments we made during the election campaign remain common, and we will continue to uphold them.

As a constructive opposition, we will support correct policies, but we will not remain silent if and when the government deviates from the mandate received from citizens. That mandate is primarily about dismantling the model.

We are concerned that in recent days, following the elections, the topic of the Peevski–Borissov model has disappeared from the rhetoric of future governing forces and has been replaced with general formulations. As an opposition, we will monitor the dismantling of this model, so that another political reconfiguration does not occur, as Bulgarian citizens have seen many times in recent history. The model will certainly attempt to persist. One of the priorities should be the replacement of the Supreme Judicial Council, and this should happen as quickly as possible,” he said.

Ivaylo Mirchev stressed that tax increases must be avoided.

“We observed carefully today the other colleagues who were with you, and we were surprised to hear that ‘Progressive Bulgaria’, for example, is calling for a new debt ceiling, which does not align with their previously stated centre-right platform during the election campaign. Such a proposal does not sound good for the country.

Bulgaria already has a record level of public debt for the past 30 years. Increasing the ceiling would send a very bad signal to investors and credit rating agencies.

At the same time, we heard GERB say that the debt should not be increased, despite having raised it to record levels in 2025. It is time for calm and for all political forces to agree on concrete measures to stabilise public finances.

We will remain consistent: no tax increases. The tax system is functioning adequately and should not be changed. All automatic mechanisms for public sector wage growth should be reviewed, as they are harmful to the budget deficit, which must remain within 3%,” he said.

Atanas Atanasov of “Democratic Bulgaria” said that one-party rule requires effective oversight.

“This absolute concentration of one-party power creates opportunities for stability in the state, but at the same time there is a need for effective control, and not only parliamentary control.

As an opposition, we will do everything necessary to monitor the actions of those in government, but institutional oversight is also required.

The first test for the new government will be the transparent nomination and election by parliament of a new chair of the State Agency for National Security (SANS). SANS is an extremely important institution and it must remain politically neutral.

In this context, we have consistently advocated for reforms in the judiciary. We will actively participate in the renewal of the Supreme Judicial Council, but it is also important that there is transparency regarding the candidates and those who are ultimately elected.”