GERB-UDF returned the mandate to form a government

GERB-UDF coalition, the winner of the largest share of votes in the parliamentary elections, returned the exploratory mandate to form a government.

Upon handing back the mandate to President Rumen Radev on April 23, the coalition’s Prime Minister designate, Daniel Mitov, said they wanted honest and open talks with the other partie, that they had made efforts and made a team of specialists, but their efforts had not been appreciated and the parties had shown political immaturity.

"We thought we could form a cabinet, we were prepared with a team, we were ready with policies for talks, unfortunately the parties we thought we could talk to showed political immaturity, they refused to talk to us," said Daniel Mitov.

The President thanked for the efforts of the GERB-UDF coalition to form a cabinet and in the coming days will announce when he will give the next mandate to form a government.

"I want to thank you for your efforts. In the coming days, I will announce when I will hand over the mandate to the second largest group represented in Parliament. I hope the time will be invested in dialogue. Bulgaria needs a stable government. Only a legitimate government, trusted by the public, could bring the country out of the crisis," the President said.

In a live video on Facebook earlier today, the outgoing Prime Minister and leader of GERB party, Boyko Borissov, said that he accepted the decision of the Executive Committee to return the mandate.

The easiest thing is to refuse a meeting because you have to make decisions there immediately, he said commenting the refusal of Slavi Trifonov’s “There is Such a People” party and Hristo Ivanov’s “Democratic Bulgaria” to meet. The two parties were approached by GERB-UDF for talks on forming new government, but they both turned down the invitation.