Bulgaria needs to have a stable government coalition that will place state interests above those of political parties, a leading member of left-wing ABV movement said on Monday.

“This can be achieved through a coalition between GERB and BSP,” Ivailo Kalfin said on bTV station, referring to the centre-right party led by former premier Boyko Borisov and the Socialists which together have 123 of the 240 seats in the new Parliament elected in the snap vote held on October 5. “That’s the way it is in Austria, in the Netherlands”.

“ABV would support a coalition of GERB and BSP and even a minority cabinet but only in certain areas,” Kalfin said. He didn’t elaborate.

“A coalition comprising GERB, the Patriotic Front, the Reformist Bloc and ABV is just arithmetics targeting majority [in Parliament]. However, the Reformist Bloc have not yet made up their minds, while the Patriotic Front are demonstrating xenophobia and nationalism, which is not good.”  

GERB and ABV on Sunday reached agreement on most of issues on the agenda of coalition talks initiated by the centre-right party which won most votes in October 5 early elections but remained short of outright majority in Parliament. GERB’s meeting with ABV was the last one in the first round of political consultations over potential cooperation in forming a government coalition initiated by GERB prior to the inaugural session of the new Parliament scheduled for October 27.  

GERB’s consultations with the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), however, last week failed to lead to agreement for joint participation in a future government coalition. The two parties remained far apart in their views on eight out of 12 priority tasks discussed at the consultations.

BSP is the second-biggest group with 39 of the 240 seats in the new Parliament where GERB has 84 seats.

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