After the vacation, the Bulgarian National Assembly began work in the plenary hall renovated three years ago in the building of the former Communist Party House on "Knyaz Alexander I" Square. The meeting started at 9:00 a.m. with the anthems of Bulgaria and the EU. After the traditional opening, the parliamentary groups of GERB-SDS, "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria", "Vazrazhdane", DPS, BSP and "There Is Such a People" presented their main priorities for the new political season.

Rosen Zhelyazkov, Chairman of the National Assembly: "There is a quorum, I open the meeting."

In the first declaration for the session, GERB-SDS stated that they supported the "Denkov-Gabriel" cabinet with full awareness of the scale of the compromise.

Desislava Atanasova, chairwoman of the PG of GERB-SDS: "With the election of the current regular government, the Parliamentary Group of GERB-SDS clearly showed that for us power is not an end in itself. It is not personnel appointments based on their party affiliation that are the basis of our choice to support a government. We have put our narrow party interest in the background. However, this does not mean that we have agreed to uncritically accept every decision of the government, of certain of its ministers or of the parties that have issued them."

"We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) pointed out that the political crisis was overcome with a conscious common effort.

Atanas Atanasov, WCC-DB: "And so the Denkov-Gabriel cabinet was created as a fundamentally tense compromise, the purpose of which was not to overcome the differences between the main political forces, but to create an opportunity to restore the parliamentary republic. And together let's get to the point that after the amendment, which I am convinced will be accepted to the Constitution - let's create new conditions for the law to be applied equally to everyone in Bulgaria."

"Vazrazhdane" (Revival) started with a private case of a Bulgarian who is on trial in Greece for extradition to the USA and asked where the country is in such situation.

Kostadin Kostadinov, chairman of "Vazrazhdane": "This here in front, these people sitting - are they the Bulgarian state? Here in this building, which should symbolize the legislative power and strength of the Bulgarian people, there should be people who think above all about the Bulgarian national interest. National security requires that the Bulgarian state be governed by a stable government, and not by an assembly put together with the help of Aleksei Petrov, as has become clear."

"It's time for a new beginning", said the leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) and gave a request to continue working for the people.

Mustafa Karadayi, chairman of DPS: "Society today continues to be divided on many issues, and at the same time, with an outstanding majority, it wants us to be part of the EU and NATO. It wants us to be a democratic and financially stable country, it wants life according to European standards. All we as political parties have a responsibility for that, but the responsibility of those in power is the greatest, because they have the resources to realize these goals."

The leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) called the cabinet "a government of backrooms and agreements in the shadows".

Kornelia Ninova, chairman of the PG of "BSP for Bulgaria": "Today, Mr. Borissov admitted in front of the hall: WCC-DB, GERB and Alexei Petrov negotiated a government. Time has confirmed our words. You are not at all motivated by the European future of Bulgaria, the interests of the people. You are only driven by personal and party interests, by bickering and ensuring from here on out that there will be no accountability for what you have done over the years."

"There Is Such a People" (TISP) believe that today is a shameful day, because a harmful National Assembly will work again.

Toshko Yordanov, chairman of the PG of TISP: "Today is a shameful day, because your assembly, conceived in sin and greed, continues to exist. You from GERB know very well that WCC-DB are boundlessly greedy, boundlessly immoral, boundlessly impudent and what is the worst infinitely incompetent. And you let them play with the lives and future of the Bulgarian citizens. You did it for power knowingly, knowing how harmful they are. And this makes you more greedy and more immoral from them."

Bulgaria's Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov again denied that the murdered Alexei Petrov participated in the talks on forming a government. Read more about it here.

"This new season we have to change the Constitution", GERB leader and former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov announced to journalists before the start of the plenary session today/ Read more about it here.

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