Bulgaria is heading to its seventh election in three years after the Speaker of the National Assembly, Raya Nazaryan, refused President Rumen Radev’s offer to be the next acting Prime Minister. The two discussed this possibility in a meeting at the presidency after "There Is Such a People" (TISP) returned the unfulfilled third mandate. The president now has two months to select a new caretaker prime minister to propose a government and prepare for the upcoming vote.

The meeting between the president and TISP was brief, lasting only 30 minutes. President Radev expressed concerns about the functioning of the parliamentary state, while TISP explained that they had attempted to fulfill the mandate but lacked the necessary support from other parliamentary parties despite holding consultations.

President Radev thanked TISP for their efforts in a challenging political environment, noting the ongoing cycle of inconclusive elections which causes institutional blockages, public disenchantment with the democratic process, and doubts about the efficacy of parliamentarism. He urged the parties to learn from the failure of the 50th Parliament and emphasized the importance of forging successful governing coalitions before elections, calling for meaningful political debate and fair play in the upcoming campaign.

TISP found some positivity in the consultations, having managed to engage with almost all parties, creating a basis for future dialogue, though they admitted that political consensus remained elusive.

Now, the president must appoint a new caretaker prime minister. Radev indicated that the list of potential candidates had narrowed, with Raya Nazaryan being the only new addition. However, Nazaryan reaffirmed her position against taking the role, believing that high-profile political figures would not foster good dialogue or increase public trust in the political process during the election campaign.

So far, only Dimitar Glavchev has confirmed his willingness to continue leading a caretaker government, while the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) expects a new acting prime minister. Atanas Zafirov, chairman of the BSP, acknowledged the severe political crisis reflected in the recurring elections and deferred the decision to the president.

"Revival" (Vazrazhdane) highlighted that the key questions now are the election date and the identity of the new acting Prime Minister, both of which are decisions for the president. Meanwhile, "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) have remained silent on the issue. TISP attributed the crisis to parties that changed the Constitution, insisting they should bear responsibility for the current situation.

According to the Constitution, the president must issue a decree to appoint a cabinet and set a date for early elections.

Who will be the caretaker prime minister

As anticipated, the third mandate to form a government was returned unfulfilled, leading Bulgaria to another early parliamentary election. These elections are expected in the first half of October. President Rumen Radev must first hold talks with potential caretaker prime ministers before scheduling the decree on the date of the vote and appointing the interim cabinet proposed by the prime minister. Prior to this, he must consult with parliamentary groups.

According to the Constitution, the head of state appoints an interim government and schedules new elections within two months. It is expected that the decree will be issued next Monday, setting the vote for October 13.

Rumen Radev had previously indicated that neither August nor September were suitable months for an election campaign or elections, due to summer vacations and preparations for the new school year. However, this dilemma did not arise, as "There Is Such a People" (TISP) returned the mandate on August 5.

Under the changes in the Constitution, which the Constitutional Court upheld with its decision on July 26, the acting Prime Minister is to be appointed from among the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Governor or Deputy Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank, the Chairman or Deputy Chairman of the Audit Chamber, and the Ombudsman or Deputy Ombudsman. This list effectively includes seven positions.

The only new figure in this procedure is the Speaker of Parliament, Raya Nazaryan. Yesterday, Radev indicated that she would be the first person he would consult. Nazaryan publicly announced that she would refuse the post of interim prime minister.

President Radev intends to invite all other potential candidates for discussions, even though they have previously declined, except for the Chairman of the Audit Chamber, Dimitar Glavchev.

Bulgaria currently lacks a public defender, as the previous Ombudsman, Diana Kovacheva, was elected as a judge at the European Court of Human Rights and assumed her new position on April 17. Consequently, the country has been without a public protector for months. Additionally, the deputy ombudsman, Elena Cherneva-Markova, resigned unexpectedly at the end of March. Parliament has not yet initiated the procedure to elect new ombudsman officials, which typically lasts three months, leaving insufficient time to add new names to the list of potential prime ministers.

At the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB), the leadership includes members from GERB and DPS. Dimitar Radev, the GERB candidate, serves as the Governor. Deputy governors include Petar Chobanov (DPS), Andrey Gyurov (WCC-DB), and Radoslav Milenkov. Gyurov was recently removed from his position due to a conflict of interest discovered by the Commission for Combating Corruption, although he has appealed this decision.

With the removal of Gyurov, the list of potential prime ministers is effectively reduced to seven. The BNB leadership previously refused presidential appointment, citing the European Central Bank's disapproval of such political involvement.

Dimitar Glavchev, the Chairman of the Audit Chamber since July, remains a key figure. His deputies, Gorica Grancharova-Kozhareva and Toshko Todorov, were elected in 2015 and their mandates have expired. Both deputies have previously refused the position of prime minister.

The possibility of renewing the list with new names remains, as parliament has opened a procedure to replace the two vice-presidents of the Audit Chamber. However, the candidates must be proposed by the Chairman, Dimitar Glavchev, who has expressed his willingness and desire to be nominated again as acting prime minister.

An amendment to the Law on the Audit Chamber proposed by "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB_ aims to ensure that the President of the Chamber does not propose his deputies. However, due to the fragmentation in parliament, it is unlikely that this amendment will pass promptly. If all specified candidates refuse again and the vice-chairmen of the Audit Chamber are not replaced, President Radev will have no choice but to appoint the current prime minister, Dimitar Glavchev.

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