The agony surrounding the formation of a regular government enters its final stage today, when Nikolay Denkov, appointed prime minister by “Keep the Change”, will return to the president an empty folder for the failed second term. The party of Kiril Petkov and Asen Vassilev at least spared the effort to brazenly gather and present ministerial candidates, as the GERB did during the first term.
There is one more, last chance to avoid another early election. Romanian Radev he must decide within a week who to entrust with the third mandate, but polls indicate that there are two possible options. The choice will be between “Democratic Bulgaria” and “Bulgarian Rise”. Until now, Radev has always given the last ticket to the BSP, but at the moment the relationship between “Positano” and “Dondukov” 2 is too tense. Especially after social leader Cornelia Ninova summoned the head of the BNT to parliament Emil Koshlukovto ask him if state television is paying the president’s daughter to star in the next film by Maxim Genchev.
The most experienced among the current actors in the political field Boyko Borisov has already invited Rumen Radev to give the third term to db. And he even promised the support of COAT OF ARMS without setting any conditions. The purpose of the proclaimed for Messi in politics, the top scorer of the “Bystrica Tigers” is clear – to finally get his party out of complete isolation that
makes her an outsider even with an election win.
Many already suspected that the third mandate a scenario for DB has already been agreed. With him, the formation with the sixth number of deputies will not struggle to form a coalition, but will present a management program in which – in addition to entering the Schengen, Eurozone and aid to Ukraine – there will also be steps for judicial reform. The conditions of Hristo Ivanov and company are expected to be supported by GERB-SDS, “Bulgarski Vozhod” and BSP, which guarantees a majority of 123 votes. It is logical to give support and “Change” with its 53 deputies, as the closest to DB. However, here it is the great temptation for the PP to play against and push for elections, riding the wave of battle to a hole against the status quo. Such an option is a nightmare for debeys, who will inevitably be scolded by their radical supporters in agreement with the hated Borisov. This represents a serious risk for most of the already few in number
The DB electorate struggles to switch to the PP.
Here because Hristo Ivanov rushed yesterday to reconcile “Change” and GERB to avoid or at least share the damage for local elections. Indeed, their thinking is guiding all parties in the current maneuvers around attempts to form a cabinet. Everyone agrees that the price of entering or overthrowing power will now have to be paid in the autumn in the battle for mayors and city councilors, considered the most important for 2023.
The situation is slightly different for the social leader Cornelia Ninova, who has to save his post as chairman of an extraordinary red congress in February. “It is very important that Ms. Ninova enters the government. That is the only thing this convention can bring about. If she is out of government, with four bad elections and, moreover, ousted by her allies, not included in the government, what will you bring to the congress?” commented sociologist Andrey Raichev.
If, contrary to most forecasts, a possible cabinet of the DB minority is voted in parliament, the future administration will have some real pyrotechnic dances waiting for it. Because each of the parties, which initially gave support, will be tempted to oust the presidency of the government, if the latter can raise its quotas for administrative elections. It is a separate question what good such a government can do, which will constantly have to maneuver with compromises and concessions. By the way, the same will apply to a possible program office, type “Gabrowski”as he is willing to offer Stefan Yanev, if the president swallows his irritation with the former interim prime minister and offers “Bulgarian Rising” the third term. So, in the dilemma of the lesser evil, a snap election in March hardly seems the most pessimistic scenario.
Resolution up to two weeks, vote April 12 at the latest
Whether there will be a third-term government should become clear within two weeks. This results from the texts of the constitution.
After “Continue the change” today returned the second unfulfilled mandate, the hypothesis of the third mandate is regulated by art. 99, par. 3 of the constitution: “If, in this case, the composition of the Council of Ministers is not proposed, the president, within the term referred to in the previous paragraph (7 days – br), appoints a subsequent parliamentary group to nominate a candidate for the Prime Minister”.
It is not clear what the phrase “within the term referred to in the previous paragraph” refers to. If in this period the president is to deliver the third term, or in this period the third term is to be returned – fulfilled or not fulfilled. If one strictly follows the text of the constitution, this term rather refers to the delivery of the mandate, which should mean that there is no deadline for its return.
According to the lawyers, however, for the first and second terms, there is no written deadline for the president to deliver. The basic law is “fixed” only in the third term. According to a decision of the Constitutional Court from 1992, for a third term, the candidate for the post of prime minister must also return it within a week – fulfilled or not fulfilled.
If the third term is returned incomplete, there should be parliamentary elections within two months. Constitutionalist Prof. Plamen Kirov predicts that the president will probably schedule an early vote from the end of March to April 12, because then the Easter holidays already begin.
