Balkans | Searching for a way out of the political crisis in Bulgaria

After the fifth general elections in Bulgaria due to the ongoing political crisis for two years, work began on forming a government.

The Citizens for European Development Party in Bulgaria (GERB), led by one of the former prime ministers Boyko Borissov, whose chairman, Rumen Radev, will charge the formation of the government, announced that it will start negotiations with the other five parties represented in Parliament.

Borisov, the leader of the GERB party, which has 69 deputies in the 240-member parliament, announced on April 25 that he would hold the first negotiations with the leaders of the Continuing Democratic Change Bulgaria (PP-DB) coalition.

Borisov said a strong government, which must receive at least 121 votes of confidence in parliament, can only be formed with the People’s Democratic Party, which has 63 seats.

On the other hand, PP co-chairman and former prime minister Kirill Petkov declared that they would never support the GERB, led by Borisov, who must take responsibility for the negative consequences of his 12-year rule that ended in 2021.

“I will not sign a blank check to Borisov.” Petkov stressed that it is not possible for them to join a government formed by the European Union Party for Renaissance.

An agreement was reached between GERB and PP-DB on the adoption of some important laws in Parliament, but government discussions were not covered by this agreement.

The European Union for Ennahda party is also expected to meet with other parties represented in Parliament to form the government.

If Borisov fails to form the government within a week after receiving the mandate to form the government, President Radev will charge PP-DB to form the government.

Radev will give a chance to the third party if this attempt also fails. If this attempt fails, it is expected that the House of Representatives will be dissolved and a date for early elections announced.

Political observers in the country are anticipating possible snap elections in July.

– MRF party status

The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (HÖH), whose membership is predominantly Turkish and Muslim and has 36 deputies in parliament, sees both GERB and PP-DB as the country’s new ruling coalition.

MRF Chairman Mustafa Karadi stated that the agreement between GERB and PP-DB in the field of legislative work was a harbinger of the trend towards a joint governing coalition.

In his speech in parliament, Karaday announced that the formation of a GERB-PP-DB coalition had become clear, that the HÖH party had no place in such a coalition, and therefore his party would remain in opposition.

– There will be no referendum on the transition to the presidential system

Due to the political crisis in Bulgaria for the past two years, the country is governed by provisional governments appointed by President Radev.

After the crisis, the Pir Halk Var (ITN), which emerged as the party representing Radev’s political viewpoint in parliament and had the smallest group of 11 people, started a petition with the proposal to hold a referendum on the transition to the presidency. System.

ITN leader Slavi Trifonov announced that they could not collect the 400,000 signatures necessary for the presidential referendum campaign launched by his party.

“If we were a relatively normal country like Switzerland, even the 145,000 signatures we collected would be enough to hold a referendum,” Trifonov shared on social media. Use the phrase.