President Rumen Radev issued a decree proposing to Parliement to elect GERB-UDF PM designate

Bulgaria's President Rumen Radev on March 19 signed a decree proposing to the 49th National Assembly to elect Mariya Gabriel, the Prime Minister-designate of the largest parliamentary group, GERB-UDF.

GERB-UDF’s PM designate Mariya Gabriel presented proposed government line-up to President Radev

Earlier in today, the President met with Gabriel and MPs of GERB-UDF in the presence of Vice President Iliana Iotova. Gabriel, who received a mandate to form a cabinet on March 18 proposed a cabinet lineup.

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Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev on March 18 handed Mariya Gabriel, the Prime Minister-designate of GERB-UDF - the winner of last year's general election - a mandate to form a government.

Earlier this month, Bulgaria's Parliament accepted the resignation of Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov of WCC-DB, the second largest political formation in Parliament, as part of the planned rotation of government agreed upon in June 2023 under a power-sharing deal between GERB-UDF and WCC-DB. According to this agreement, WCC-DB’s Nikolai Denkov initially took office as Prime Minister, with GERB-UDF’s Gabriel as Deputy PM, and after nine months, in March 2024, GERB’s Mariya Gabriel, a former EU commissioner, would take over and the two would then switch posts again after a further nine months.

Yesterday, March 18, Gabriel said negotiations between the GERB-UDF and WCC-DB will continue in the afternoon and hoped that they will be finalised in the next 24 hours.

On March 19, Mariya Gabriel presented proposed government line-up to President Radev. She returned the mandate fufilled.

For a proposed cabinet to take office, it needs support from at least 121 MPs of the 240-seat Par;iament. If the mandate is not fulfilled or the proposed cabinet fails to gain parliamentary approval, the President will hand over an exploratory mandate to the second lagest political faction in Parliament - WCC-DB.

Denkov's cabinet will continue to carry out its duties until a new Prime Minister is elected.