"We Continue the Change" will not talk with GERB for the first cabinet-forming mandate, remains constructive opposition

"We Continue the Change" (the party that came second in the October 2 early parliamentary elections) will be a constructive opposition if GERB, (which in coalition with UDF won the election), form a government. This decision was taken by the National Council of "We Continue the Change" at a meeting yesterday, announced the co-chair Asen Vassilev on October 7.

"This means that we will not go to talks with GERB for the first government-forming mandate," Vassilev said.

"Our definition of a Euro-Atlantic government is a Euro-Atlantic government without corruption," "We Continue the Change" co-chair Kiril Petkov said.

Petkov added that "We Continue the Change" will not make a joint parliamentary group with "Democratic Bulgaria" to get the first mandate, because "it is not right to replace the voters' vote through political constructions."

In the 48th National Assembly, the party will elect a deputy speaker because as part of the tradition, the speaker is nominated by the largest political group, Assen Vassilev said. He stressed that the most important thing for Bulgaria is to have a stable government.

"We will be constructive, we will not prevent the formation of a cabinet and there are a number of policies that we are ready to support and hope will be proposed. Our goal is for Bulgaria to go through the winter with a regular cabinet," he said.

The policies that “We Continue the Change” will support include:

• A law on a anti-corruption commission with investigative functions;
• A mechanism for investigating the Chief Prosecutor by a Bulgarian judge;
• The minimum wage to be 50% of the average wage as of January 1, 2023, which currently equals 860 BGN;
• A 20% increase in pensions to outpace inflation;
• A new definition of energy poverty;
• Two tariffs for electricity, water and heating based on consumption;
• Raising the tax credit for families with children to 50%;
• A cap on the price of electricity for businesses at BGN 250 per megawatt hour;
• A cap on the price of gas at BGN 300 per megawatt;
• Teachers' salaries to remain at 125% of the average wage;
• Starting salaries for young medical professionals of BGN 1,500 for a nurse and BGN 2,000 for a young doctor;
• Maintain the current tax policy;
• Budget deficit of up to 3%;
• Support for Bulgaria's entry into the Eurozone and Schengen;
• 160,000 BGN threshold for VAT registration;
• Adoption of 22 laws concerning the implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Plan.

The policies proposed by “We Continue the Change” would cost the state around BGN 3 billion in one year. According to the party's calculations, it is possible to implement them while maintaining a 3% deficit in the budget, but only if the spending is done transparently and without corruption. That is why the party proposes the draft law on anti-corruption to be a priority.

"We Continue the Change" opposed the actions of the caretaker cabinet on the purchase of Gripen fighter jets. According to them, such a decision should be taken by the regular National Assembly.

Moreover, the party is against the procurement of new aircraft before the first shipment of F16s has arrived in the country.

"No aircraft should be bought before the first ordered ones arrive. Paying up front for something before we have even received the first order is irresponsible behaviour, both towards Bulgarian voters and the Air Force," Assen Vassilev said.

If GERB fails to form a cabinet and the second mandate for forming a government goes to "We Continue the Change", the party will determine its actions after the approval of the National Council.

Central Election Commission announced final results of Bulgaria’s October 2 early parliamentary elections

Images by Dessislava Kulelieva