President to WCC-DB: The place of a second political force is a serious responsibility for forming a government

During consultations for possibble forming a government on December 10, President Rumen Radev emphasized to representatives of "We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) coalition that, as the second largest political force, they bear significant responsibility not only for the effective functioning of Parliament but also within the constitutional process of government formation.

Earlier in the day, the President met with GERB-UDF, the largest parliamentary group. Radev noted, "Your colleagues from the leading political force have declared that they will take responsibility and make efforts to form a regular government."

Earlier today, the President met with GERB-UDF.

"Your colleagues from the largest political force announced that they will take responsibility and will make efforts to form a regular government," Radev said.

Nikolay Denkov from WCC-DB affirmed that the primary task of any Parlaiement is to produce a regular government. "We fully understand our responsibility in this process," he said, stressing the importance of both Parliament and the government working on the country's most pressing issues. Denkov highlighted that the top priority is the urgent adoption of a budget that will allow all state systems to function normally starting January 1. He also pointed out the need for swift adoption of the laws related to the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP).

Denkov criticized the inefficiency of the judiciary, noting that it has failed to resolve serious issues and that disproportionate penalties are often imposed for minor offenses.

"Priority number one, urgent, is the adoption of a budget , which will allow all systems in the state to work normally from January 1," Denkov said.

"For years, the justice system has not been fulfilling its functions, people who have serious issues weighing on them are not finding their answer, which must come through the justice system. Severe punishments are imposed for minor offences," Denkov said.

According to Nadezhda Yordanova, for a government to be stable, it must be supported by a broad parliamentary majority in order to have sustainable solutions.

"In this parliament, it is possible to form a pro-European and anti-corruption majority, and that is what we are pushing for," she stated.

Yordanova added that the selection of a Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) that is not politically biased is crucial, and this will require time and a functioning government to stop Bulgaria from being a "country of expired terms of office."

She pointed out that the WCC-DB was ready to enter into negotiations for a cabinet without the MRF-New Beginning and Vazrazhdane in order to have a constructive negotiation process.

"We need a government built around pro-European priorities, focusing on Schengen, the Eurozone, and anti-corruption. Given the fragmentation of the Parliament, we believe that a Prime Minister who is equidistant or mutually acceptable could fulfill this mission," Yordanova explained.

"The corruption leprosy of the institutions must be overcome and we will not back down from that," said Yordanova.

Kiril Petkov also noted the declaration of the WCC-DB on the "sanitary cordon" (around Delyan Peevski).

"The largest political force continues to evade signing the sanitary cordon, which means they are not ready to take foundational steps to reform the electoral process. We will remain vigilant to see whether they will break from behind-the-scenes dealings or continue to to throw dust in th eyes of the Bulgarian people," Petkov asserted.