Money, dependencies, posts - political turmoil in Bulgaria heightened (overview)

Scandals, accusations and ministerial resignations have led to an escalation of political tensions in the Bulgarian government on June 13.

The rupture of the four-party coalition officially became a fact after two ministers of "There is Such a People" (TISP) quota – the minister of energy, Alexander Nikolov, and of foreign affairs, Teodora Genchovska, resigned on Monday.

The other two ministers of "There is Such a People" quota - of regional development, Grozdan Karadzhov, and of sports, Radostin Vassilev, submitted their resignations last week, after TISP leader Slavi Trifonov made statement on Facebook, in which he said he was pulling out the ministers from the quota of his party and puts an end to the coalition.

The ministerial resignations have put the question on the agenda of whether it will be possible to vote on the proposed budget update with the looming lack of a 120+1 majority in the plenary. Clarification was brought by MP Atanas Mihnev of “We Continue the Change”, who boasted to the media that 12 MPs for a majority had already been found. A little later it turned out that this was not the case. The information was refuted by his party-mate Iskren Mitev.

The big political surprise from "There is Such a People" came in the afternoon on June 13 when leader Slavi Trifonov said that there was information about attempts to "purchase" his MPs. The outgoing sports minister, Radostin Vassilev, and 8 other MPs from "There is Such a People" were named in a media publication as future defectors from the "There is Such a People" group.

"I have just received information that MPs from "There is Such a People" will leave our parliamentary group. And will support PM Kiril Petkov and Deputy PM Assen Vassilev (of “We Continue the Change”). Most likely they are bought with money and posts. It is yet to see who will become what," TISP leader, Slavi Trifonov, wrote on Facebook.

The rift in the government over the withdrawal of the ministers has escalated into a split of "There is Such a People”.

Outgoing Sports Minister, Radostin Vassilev, and five other MPs from the TISP parliamentary group publicly said they were leaving. At a press conference later on Monday, they heavily accused the party of links to the mafia, receiving financial benefits and failing to meet set targets in the fight against corruption.

"I openly made a crusade against the mafia in sports and Mr Trifonov threw me to the mafia without blinking an eye. Only he also threw all the people I have engaged. He doesn't meet with them and I'm with them every day and I have nothing to say to them. I can't justify his withdrawal from the coalition. I'm loyal to them because they nominated me," explained Radostin Vassilev.

Minutes later, a reaction followed from the majority partner in the ruling coalition - the entire leadership of "We Continue the Change", led by Prime Minister Kiril Petkov, organised an extraordinary press conference to thank Radostin Vassilev and the other MPs from Slavi Trifonov's party for their decision.

The mafia has just lost its coalition partner, said PM Kiril Petkov.

I would like to thank for the great courage of people like Radostin Vassilev, who in recent months has fought with all his might to fight the mafia in sport, the PM said. I thank Georgi Georgiev, Ivo Atanasov, Nikolai Radulov, Deyan Petkov, Svetlin Stoyanov. Today I saw some brave people who know that their loyalty is not to the backstage singer with his 20-year-old friends and Orlin Alexiev and company, Petkov added. These people are really brave, Bulgaria has a chance, he added.

If the now triple coalition fails to gather the necessary majority, the direction is new elections, Deputy Prime Minister Assen Vassilev said.

A reaction from "There is Such a People" followed. The leadership of the party, led by the chairman of the parliamentary group, Toshko Yordanov, made counter accusations against the government of Kiril Petkov and the resigned minister Radostin Vassilev.

We are under extreme pressure from thugs, said Stanislav Balabanov of “There is Such a People”.

Toshko Yordanov (TISP) presented a recording of a telephone conversation between Radostin Vassilev and TISP MP Hristinka Ivanova, in which Vassilev was persuading her to leave the TISP parliamentary group, but she firmly refused. The recording was circulated to all media, and Ivanova admitted that she had received other threats because of her refusal to leave “There is such a People”.

We owe a huge apology to the people who voted for “There is Such a People” and that people like them are currently in Parliament. But people are going mad - they are going mad for power. I bear a personal guilt that these people are there, that I have allowed such people, because to some extent I have misled my colleagues that they are legit, added Toshko Yordanov.

The finale of the day filled with political turmoil came in the late hours of the evening, when on Facebook, the leader of "There is Such a People” Slavi Trifonov said that he would file lawsuits against Prime Minister Kiril Petkov, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Asen Vassilev and outgoing Sports Minister from TISP, Radostin Vassilev. I agree that in Bulgaria anyone can say anything about anyone, but they should be responsible for their words, Trifonov wrote.

Whether Radostin Vassilev will keep his ministerial post in the triple coalition, whether there will be more breakaway TISP MPs and whether the government will gather a majority in the plenary hall - the outcome of these questions is still to come.

images by BGNES

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