GERB leader Boyko Borissov met with ministers from the outgoing “Zhelyazkov” cabinet after they formally handed over power to the caretaker government, using the gathering to review the work of the administration and outline the party’s next political steps.

At GERB headquarters, Borissov was joined by former prime minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and key cabinet members, including Temenuzhka Petkova, Tomislav Donchev and Zhecho Stankov. Borissov praised each of them, arguing that Bulgaria had acted more strategically than many European countries by engaging early with US President Donald Trump’s Board of Peace initiative.

A significant part of his assessment focused on the eurozone process. Borissov said GERB had driven the effort, singling out Petkova for pushing through the convergence report to the European Commission. He also thanked the tax authorities and customs services, claiming their work against smuggling had brought more than €7 billion in additional revenue into the state budget, helping to limit the deficit.

Donchev was commended for renegotiating the Recovery and Resilience Plan, which Borissov described as turning “lost” European funds into billions for the treasury, while also laying the groundwork for future investment in the IT sector. Stankov was credited with reacting swiftly after the US OFAC sanctions on Lukoil, securing deadline extensions and a derogation for Bulgaria. Borissov also praised former education minister Krasimir Valchev, saying there had not been such a well-regarded minister in that sector before. Speaking humorously, he noted that Dani Mitov was still in the process of handing over his post.

Looking back at 2025, Borissov listed GERB’s achievements as including entry into Schengen, progress toward the eurozone, the lifting of the EU monitoring mechanism and more than €10 billion extra in state revenues. He complained, however, about what he described as ingratitude from parts of the political center-right, arguing that GERB had taken the political risk on eurozone accession while President Rumen Radev, Revival and others opposed it.

“We made mistakes and paid a price. They bundled us with Peevski,” Borissov said, adding that he learns from such errors. He argued that WCC-DB bore greater responsibility because of their cooperation with Peevski on constitutional changes, while GERB focused on eurozone and Schengen entry. Without his leadership, Borissov insisted, these results would not have been achieved.

Turning to the political future, Borissov warned that the emerging project around Radev would follow a familiar pattern. “We have seen such bubbles five or six times before, and they always burst,” he said, calling for full mobilization ahead of the elections.

He also commented on the new caretaker cabinet led by Andrey Gyurov, welcoming signals of continuity and noting that Finance Minister Georgi Klisurski had acknowledged GERB’s role in eurozone preparations. At the same time, Borissov said the caretaker government was entirely the responsibility of Vice President Iliana Yotova, contradicting earlier public statements.

Further reading: Bulgaria: Who's Who in Andrey Gyurov's Caretaker Cabinet

On personnel issues, Borissov described the appointment of Rumyana Bachvarova as Gyurov’s chief of staff as her personal decision and wished her success. He said Defence Minister Atanas Zapryanov had been specifically requested by Gyurov and that GERB agreed continuity was necessary given the tense geopolitical environment.

Borissov was sharply critical of the appointment of Stoil Tsitselkov as deputy prime minister responsible for fair elections. Citing reports that Tsitselkov had been barred by the European Commission for five years from acting as an election observer, Borissov warned that such a figure overseeing the vote would undermine confidence in the election results, regardless of the outcome.

He concluded by urging party members to prepare for the campaign. “We have nothing to be ashamed of. If we made mistakes, they were because we worked,” Borissov said, calling on GERB activists to return to the constituencies and be ready for the upcoming political contest.