GERB leader and chair of the GERB parliamentary group Boyko Borissov said his party would accept and then return the mandate to form a government, warning that this would be followed by even greater political chaos and deepening hostility between parties. Speaking in a live Facebook broadcast from Vratsa, Borissov argued that there was currently no political class capable of working together in a stable way.

Yesterday, the President’s press secretariat announced that on Monday, January 12, President Rumen Radev will hand over a mandate to form a cabinet to the candidate for prime minister nominated by the largest parliamentary group in the 51st National Assembly, GERB.

Borissov described the past eleven months as the most successful period of governance Bulgaria has seen in recent decades. He said the cabinet had operated without a single day of political tolerance from its first day in office, despite repeated elections and the fact that he had managed to assemble what he called an “absurd” minority coalition. According to him, GERB paid a high political price for this arrangement but did so to achieve key strategic goals.

He explained that GERB tolerated decisions and compromises that were not typical for the party because of long-term geopolitical objectives. Borissov linked this approach to the broader pro-European course once pursued by the Union of Democratic Forces, arguing that GERB was created to carry those goals forward. In his view, the results are clear, with Bulgaria now a full member of Schengen.

According to Borissov, Bulgaria’s accession to Schengen was made possible by one decisive factor: the legal and effective blocking of illegal migration. He claimed that Bulgaria is the only country in Europe where such measures have prevented the kind of migration-related pressure currently seen in many major European cities.

He also highlighted Bulgaria’s progress toward the eurozone. Borissov said the country had followed a difficult path, but ultimately gained the trust of Europe’s largest institutions. He thanked citizens, the government, state institutions, the banking sector and businesses for their role in the process. Referring to the lack of scandals, he noted that the transition was proceeding quietly, allowing society to gradually accept the move toward the euro.

Borissov pointed out that state budget revenues for 2025 are 13.9 billion leva higher than in 2024, which is roughly 7.1 billion euros. He questioned how Bulgaria could be described as a country plagued by corruption while simultaneously being part of Schengen, the eurozone, the European banking union and having an approved recovery plan.

Addressing criticism from political opponents, Borissov accused former finance minister Asen Vassilev of dishonesty, including over claims about who was responsible for Bulgaria’s eurozone progress. He said that when GERB submitted a convergence report declaring the country ready for the euro, many dismissed it as unrealistic. Borissov added that he personally sought support from international partners and domestic political figures to secure backing for the process, despite public skepticism from President Radev, WCC-DB and Revival.

According to him, the government and institutions functioned normally until the final day of their mandate, with the banking system and business environment remaining stable. He stressed that eurozone accession is advancing without turmoil, making the process seem almost routine to the public.

Looking ahead, Borissov said new elections are inevitable. He warned that while GERB will return the mandate on Monday, this will likely intensify political confrontation. He argued that GERB has already suffered significant damage from its previous coalition partners and insisted that the party must now aim for a strong electoral result. Only such an outcome, he said, would prevent Bulgaria from sliding back into the prolonged instability of recent years and spare GERB from entering coalitions that weaken it politically and force constant justification of its role.