GERB leader Boyko Borissov has announced his decision to withdraw as a candidate for prime minister and plans to return the first mandate to form a government. "I no longer want to deal with this country," Borissov stated during a GERB press conference, expressing frustration with the ongoing political stalemate. "I will immediately return the mandate as soon as I receive it."

This announcement follows attempts to negotiate a coalition after the October parliamentary elections, which resulted in a fragmented parliament of eight formations. On Monday, Borissov extended an offer to the "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) coalition, suggesting he could support their candidate, Atanas Atanasov, for parliament speaker if they agreed to form a joint government with Borissov as prime minister. The coalition rejected the proposal, further deepening the political impasse. Borissov later remarked, "They say that in my person they do not see a good leader, prime minister. I categorically refuse to deal with the problems they have left us for the last four years."

The WCC-DB has consistently opposed the idea of Borissov serving as prime minister in any potential government. The coalition has also demanded GERB sign a declaration to maintain a "sanitary cordon" around Delyan Peevski, who has faced sanctions for corruption by both the US and UK. While Borissov offered written assurances that GERB would not form a coalition with Peevski’s party, DPS-New Beginning, or its affiliates, the WCC-DB deemed this insufficient.

In his remarks, Borissov criticized the opposition's approach, stating, "They are talking about an equidistant prime minister… Why didn’t they put him on the table? No one is saying who he is." He expressed disappointment with his party’s performance during negotiations, claiming the WCC-DB prioritized Peevski over Bulgaria's interests. Kiril Petkov, co-leader of WCC, responded sharply on social media, accusing GERB of failing to take decisive action on Peevski.

"It was sad for me, GERB colleagues, to watch you today. When choosing Bulgaria or Peevski, you chose Peevski!", WCC co-chair Kiril Petkov wrote on Facebook shortly after Borissov's statement.

Meanwhile, parliament remains deadlocked, with unsuccessful efforts to elect a speaker continuing. Borissov has insisted the roles of both prime minister and speaker in a future government must come from GERB, though he recently signaled willingness to allow another party to nominate the speaker. However, the lack of consensus between GERB and WCC-DB has hindered progress.

Tomorrow, when the first plenary session of the parliament will resume, GERB will once again propose the candidacy of Raya Nazaryan for Speaker of the National Assembly.

Background:

The October 27 elections marked Bulgaria's seventh early parliamentary election in three years. GERB emerged as the leading party with 69 seats, followed by WCC-DB with 37, and Revival with 35. DPS-New Beginning secured 30 seats, BSP 20, APS 19, There Is Such a People (TISP) 18, and MECH 12. To form a majority government, GERB will require support from at least two coalition partners. President Rumen Radev is expected to hand GERB the mandate to attempt to form a government.

This political turbulence comes after GERB and WCC-DB reached an earlier compromise in 2023 to form a rotational government. Under this arrangement, Nikolai Denkov of WCC-DB took office as prime minister, with Mariya Gabriel of GERB slated to assume the role in March 2024. However, GERB later withdrew its support for this arrangement, leading to its collapse. Borissov’s withdrawal signals further challenges ahead in Bulgaria's search for a stable governing coalition.

Sources:

• Bulgarian News Agency (BTA)
• Bulgarian National Radio (BNR)
• Bulgarian National Television (BNT)