Intensive Negotiations in Bulgaria for Possible Government Formation

Intensive negotiations between Boyko Borisov, Kiril Petkov, Asen Vasilev and Hristo Ivanov have been going on all Sunday, Capital claims

A day before GERB’s nominee for prime minister, Maria Gabriel, returned to the president the folder with the draft composition of her cabinet, party leader Boyko Borisov continues to hold parallel talks both with the two formations that declared that they would support the government in the first mandate – DPS and ITN, so and with the PP-DB coalition for the possible formation of a majority with the second mandate, writes Capital.

According to several different sources on the site, particularly intensive negotiations were held during the day on Sunday, especially with PP-DB, and an agreement in principle was reached on joint management. Given the complex situation, this result is temporary, but it is the closest understanding that the two formations have achieved.

On Sunday morning, according to unofficial information, Borisov spoke with Kiril Petkov, Hristo Ivanov and the nominees of the two formations for prime minister – Maria Gabriel and Academician Nikolay Denkov, the site writes. Again, according to unofficial (but confirmed from several different places) information during the talks, which were two – on Sunday morning and in the early afternoon, the leaders of the two formations discussed an option to form a majority with the second mandate as broadcast by the two political forces for Prime Minister Academician Nikolay Denkov and Maria Gabriel alternate in the post on a rotating basis for six months. According to the discussed option, the candidate of PP-DB Nikolay Denkov will occupy the first position. This rotating chairmanship approach was also adopted during the election of the Speaker of the National Assembly, and thanks to this agreement, Rosen Zhelyazkov from GERB was elected to the post, who will head the parliament for three months, after which he will be replaced by Nikola Minchev from PP.

The continuation of the negotiations between GERB and PP-DB and the possible agreement to receive support from Borisov’s party comes against the background of the meeting of the leaders of the two formations in the parliament on Friday. At it, PP-DB reaffirmed their categorical position that they will not support a government with the first mandate. According to her unofficial information, Borisov made it clear that GERB will not participate in a majority and vote for a government with a different prime minister than Maria Gabriel. What’s more, the former European Commissioner also refused PP-DB’s proposal to participate in a government with a second term as deputy prime minister – an option that was initially discussed by the coalition against support for the “Denkov” cabinet.

At this stage, it is not clear whether this agreement is final and, if so, what action Borisov will take on Monday, when the nominee for prime minister, Maria Gabriel, must return the mandate folder to the president. If, in the remaining time until 3 p.m. on Monday, GERB and PP-DB agree to form a government with the second mandate, it is very likely that Gabriel will return to Rumen Radev an empty folder without the structure and composition of the cabinet, which will mean that the mandate will not has been fulfilled and the head of state will have to hand over the second mandate to Academician Nikolay Denkov, Capital claims.

As of Sunday, however, various representatives of GERB confidently claimed that on Monday Gabriel will propose the composition of the government, as well as that it will also include representatives of the other two parties, with whom the nominee for prime minister until recently talked in the parliament for support – DPS and ITN , and who have already declared that they will stand behind a government broadcast by GERB.

“24 Chasa” sought its sources from DB and PP for more details. Leading figures explained that it was almost agreed that the government with the second term would have a rotation of prime ministers – first Denkov, then Maria Gabriel