GERB has decided to withdraw the candidacy of Raya Nazaryan for the position of Speaker of the National Assembly, as announced by the party leader Boyko Borissov. Despite Nazaryan's strong performance in the first round of voting, GERB's decision followed concerns over behind-the-scenes alliances, particularly the cooperation between "We Continue the Change" and "Revival." Borissov criticized these partnerships, suggesting that the ongoing political maneuvering contradicted GERB’s vision for the country.

Today's parliamentary session marks the eighth attempt to elect a speaker, with the vote set to proceed after a series of nominations. Borissov indicated that if the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) is able to secure a majority without "Revival" and "DPS-New Beginning," GERB would support the BSP candidate in the runoff, underscoring his willingness to make compromises. Meanwhile, Atanas Zafirov from BSP confirmed that discussions had taken place with other parliamentary groups to back Assoc. Prof. Natalia Kiselova for the role of Speaker.

The withdrawal of Raya Nazaryan has reshaped the field, leaving the race between Petar Petrov of "Revival," Kiselova from BSP, and Silvi Kirilov from "There Is Such a People." Before the session began, Kiril Petkov from "We Continue the Change" reiterated his support for Kirilov’s candidacy. As the parliamentary session commenced, the deputies chose to skip debate and proceed directly to voting, though a brief 30-minute break was requested before any vote took place.

Background:

The ongoing failure to elect a speaker reflects the political tensions within the parliament, as party lines become more rigid and efforts to form a working majority remain complicated.

The position of Speaker has remained unfilled for several weeks, with the parliament struggling to agree on a candidate. The inability to elect a speaker has stalled various legislative processes, including the formation of a new government. The deadlock also highlights the ongoing political fragmentation, with multiple factions working at cross-purposes in the election process.

Sources:

• Bulgarian News Agency (BTA)
• OFFNews