President Radev to Hand Government-Forming Mandate to GERB-UDF on Monday

On Monday, 12 January, at 10:00, President Rumen Radev will hand the first mandate to form a government to the candidate for Prime Minister nominated by the largest parliamentary group in the 51st National Assembly – that of GERB-UDF. The announcement was made by the press office of the head of state on January 9.

Under the Constitution, following the resignation of a government, the President shall launch a new procedure for handing over exploratory mandates to form a cabinet. According to the basic law, after consultations, the President assigns the task of forming a government to a prime ministerial candidate nominated by the largest parliamentary group.

If the candidate fails to propose a line-up of Council of Ministers within seven days, the President assigns the mandate to a nominee of the second-largest parliamentary group. Should no government be proposed within a further seven-day period, the President then tasks another parliamentary group with nominating a candidate for Prime Minister.

If an exploratory mandate is completed successfully, the President proposes to the National Assembly that it elect the candidate for Prime Minister.

If no agreement on a government is reached, the President, in consultation with the parliamentary groups and on the proposal of the candidate for caretaker Prime Minister, shall appoint a caretaker government and call new elections within two months.