During consultations at the presidency, President Iliana Yotova welcomed representatives of the "Morality, Unity, Honor" (MECH) party, including party leader Radostin Vassilev, MECH parliamentary group chairman Kiril Veselinski, and MPs Krasimir Manov and Hristo Rastashki, to discuss potential caretaker prime ministers and priorities for a caretaker cabinet, particularly the conduct of fair elections.

Vassilev responded with sharp criticism of the president and the political system. He described the country as enveloped in hypocrisy and institutional collapse, which he said undermines moral values, contributes to criminal activity, and erodes the concept of family. He expressed skepticism toward Yotova, highlighting her past involvement with the BSP and connections to figures from Bulgaria’s State Security apparatus, as well as individuals like Nikolay Valkanov and Delyan Peevski’s representatives. Vassilev criticized Yotova for allegedly using her presidential role to advance a future political campaign rather than ensuring impartiality in upcoming elections. He also referred to her past as the BSP spokesperson in 1997 during widespread economic hardship, and her participation in certain social gatherings he deemed inappropriate, suggesting links to sects or paramilitary organizations.

Vassilev argued that genuine lustration had never taken place in Bulgaria, allowing individuals with backgrounds in the former nomenclature and State Security to occupy high offices decades after regime changes. He emphasized that figures such as Yotova, Vasil Terziev, and others from State Security should have been removed from public office to ensure justice and societal stability. In his view, the current system represents an entrenched oligarchic model, with entrenched interests controlling key institutions.

Given these concerns, Vassilev stated that MECH could not engage in meaningful dialogue with the president. He accused the ongoing consultations of being prolonged intentionally to allow former President Rumen Radev to organize his party. Vassilev reaffirmed that, from MECH’s perspective, the only acceptable candidate for caretaker prime minister is the Deputy Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank. Consequently, he confirmed that MECH would withdraw from further consultations, citing a lack of trust in the impartiality and integrity of the process.

The MECH leader’s remarks underscored his party’s stance that the caretaker government must be free of longstanding political and security-state influences to ensure fair elections, while explicitly rejecting participation in a process they view as compromised by entrenched oligarchic networks.