Coalition Cracks: Spasi Sofia Leaves Ruling Bloc, Sparks Tensions with Capital Mayor Terziev

Politics | April 24, 2025, Thursday // 12:00
Bulgaria: Coalition Cracks: Spasi Sofia Leaves Ruling Bloc, Sparks Tensions with Capital Mayor Terziev Bonev (left), Terziev (right)

The WCC-DB-SS coalition in the Sofia Municipal Council has officially disbanded. During the council's latest meeting, Chairman Tsvetomir Petrov, a representative of Spasi Sofia (translated to "Save Sofia"), announced the formation of a new municipal group under the same name, consisting of eight members. This makes the Spasi Sofia faction the fourth-largest in the municipal council. Meanwhile, the remaining coalition of "We Continue the Change" (WCC) and "Democratic Bulgaria" (DB) continues with 14 members, the same number as GERB.

Read also: Bulgarian Party Leaves Coalition with Sofia's Mayor Over Unfulfilled Promises

Representatives from WCC-DB expressed disappointment over the split. Municipal councillor Boyko Dimitrov said the move by Spasi Sofia was a political misstep, while Dimitar Shalafov characterized it as an "escape from responsibility." He emphasized that the departure contributes to political fragmentation, which has been cited by Spasi Sofia themselves as a barrier to the city's development. Both councillors voiced hope that Spasi Sofia will remain open to dialogue and cooperation, in line with assurances made by Boris Bonev.

Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev responded publicly, attributing the split to Spasi Sofia’s strategic preparation for upcoming elections. He stated that although Spasi Sofia had functioned as internal opposition for some time, their formal exit signals a shift to a more overt stance. Terziev emphasized that his administration would continue to seek broad support and work through challenges, as it has since the beginning of the mandate.

In a lengthy online post, Terziev denied claims of parallel power structures within Sofia Municipality and rejected accusations of dependency on political figures like Delyan Peevski. He underscored that all decisions are his responsibility and dismissed allegations of external influence. He noted that while opposition rhetoric is easy, true governance demands difficult, long-term work.

Terziev defended the appointment of Arch. Panayotova, asserting that her selection process was transparent and that her performance would be judged based on her actions. He also mentioned undergoing a polygraph test to clear suspicions of external pressure or misuse of office, stating that all answers confirmed his integrity.

GERB group chairman Anton Hekimyan, however, accused both Spasi Sofia leader Boris Bonev and Sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev of contributing to Sofia's stagnation, underscoring the rising tensions within the council following the political reshuffle.

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Tags: spasi, sofia, terziev, bonev

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