President Rumen Radev has handed over the first exploratory mandate for forming a government to the GERB party. The delegation, which included Prime Minister nominee Rosen Zhelyazkov, as well as key GERB members Raya Nazaryan, Tomislav Donchev, Denitsa Sacheva, Daniel Mitov, and Temenuzhka Petkova, visited "Dondukov" 2 street (the Presidencial residency) to officially receive the mandate.

The cabinet proposed by Zhelyazkov includes members of 3 political parties - GERB, the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and "There Is Such a People" in addition to two caretaker ministers keeping their roles:

• Prime Minister: Rosen Zhelyazkov (GERB)
• Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth: Tomislav Donchev (GERB)
• Deputy Prime Minister: Atanas Zafirov (Bulgarian Socialist Party: BSP - United Left)
• Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Transport and Communications: Grozdan Karadzhov ("There Is Such a People" - TISP)
• Minister of Finance: Temenuzhka Petkova (GERB)
• Minister of Internal Affairs: Daniel Mitov (GERB)
• Minister of Regional Development and Public Works: Ivan Ivanov (BSP - United Left)
• Minister of Labor and Social Policy: Borislav Gutsanov (BSP - United Left)
• Minister of Defense: Gen. Atanas Zapryanov (Current Caretaker Defense Minister)
• Minister of Foreign Affairs: Georg Georgiev (GERB)
• Minister of Justice: Georgi Georgiev (GERB)
• Minister of Education and Science: Krasimir Valchev (GERB)
• Minister of Health: Silvi Kirilov (TISP)
• Minister of Culture: Mariyan Bachev (TISP)
• Minister of Environment and Water: Manol Genov (BSP - United Left)
• Minister of Agriculture and Food: Georgi Tahov (BSP - United Left)
• Minister of Economy and Industry: Petar Dilov (TISP)
• Minister of Energy: Zhecho Stankov (GERB)
• Minister of e-Government: Valentin Mundrov (Current Caretaker e-Government Minister)
• Minister of Tourism: Miroslav Borshosh (GERB)
• Minister of Youth and Sports: Ivan Peshev (BSP - United Left)

Zhelyazkov expressed his gratitude to the partners with whom they had difficult but responsible discussions, emphasizing the value of the time spent, which was not wasted. He pointed out that the repeated failure to form a government after each election has led to stagnation, offering little hope for Bulgaria's upward development.

He highlighted that the consultations with other parties were focused on garnering broader support. Zhelyazkov thanked "Democratic Bulgaria" for their political courage in joining the talks. He also mentioned that discussions with the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP-United Left) and "There Is Such a People" (TISP) were centered around shared goals, priorities, and governance principles, despite the ideological differences between the four groups.

Zhelyazkov acknowledged the necessary compromises made, stating that they were more meaningful than reaching a "political deal." As part of this compromise, he revealed that, instead of GERB leader Boyko Borissov, he would take on the role of Prime Minister. He further explained that they rejected the idea of an equidistant prime minister, reasoning that it would leave someone without the political support needed to form a stable government.

Rumen Radev underscored that by accepting the mandate, GERB was not only taking on a critical responsibility but also acknowledging the urgency of forming a functioning government. He emphasized the public's growing frustration with the ongoing political crisis and their desire for a competent, operational government that prioritizes the interests of the people.

Following the receipt of the mandate, the coalition immediately returned the mandate to the President, along with the proposed structure and composition of the future Council of Ministers. Zhelyazkov confirmed that within a month, they would also present a detailed program of governance.

The President handed over the mandate nearly a month after holding consultations with parliamentary groups. The process had been marked by uncertainty, with negotiations continuing until the final hours before the handover. The coalition's ability to secure the necessary support from the "Democracy, Rights, and Freedoms" (DPS-Dogan) party was crucial to ensuring sufficient backing in parliament, which would guarantee the necessary 126 votes—five more than the required minimum.

According to Bulgaria's Constitution, the nominated formation has seven days to propose the composition of the Council of Ministers. If no proposal is made within this period, the President is tasked with assigning the mandate to the candidate for Prime Minister from the second-largest parliamentary group.

Sources:

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