Outgoing Parliament Speaker and newly-elected socialist leader Mihail Mikov gave MPs these red boxes to mark their last day at work.

It did not become immediately clear whether the small glass and saucer were a coffee set or a tea set.

Notwithstanding, Mikov should be praised for this timely (albeit not surprising) display of his sense of humor.

After all, "let's have coffee" was virtually the phrase of the year in Bulgarian politics.

It illustrated both backroom games (when opposition GERB and ruling DPS's leaders discussed politics "over coffee") and later the inability of coalition partners, the DPS and BSP, to find common ground.

Failure to have coffee, or to agree on prospective power-sharing, while discussing issues like Corporate Commercial Bank (KTB) and budget updates, accompanied Parliament to its imminent end.

BSP members obviously failed to drink coffee together, as those in government put forward a budget amendment proposal and those in Parliament blocked it as vigorously as they could.

The red boxes reminded MPs that it is only a cup of coffee – or tea, as a matter of fact – that could prevent the present murky status quo, propped by political bargaining, from collapsing in the next legislature.

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