Balkans | The task of forming the government in Bulgaria was entrusted to Maria Gabriel

In Bulgaria, where the political crisis continues, President Rumen Radev entrusted the task of forming the government to Maria Gabriel, a member of the European Union Commission.

Mariya Gabriel, a member of the European Union (EU) Commission, has been nominated as prime minister by the Citizens’ Party for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB), which has the largest group of 69 members in the 49th, 240-member Bulgarian parliament.

Speaking at the ceremony held at the Presidency of the Republic, Radev said, “I see that you have entered a difficult path. I hope that you will be able to form the staff of a workable government within the seven-day period that the constitution gives you.” He said.

Gabriel, the candidate of Boyko Borissov’s GERB party, one of the former prime ministers who ruled the country for 12 years until 2021, said he accepted the task “with a sense of responsibility and gratitude”.

Stating that he would do everything possible to establish a stable and workable government of experts, Gabriel said, “The first goal of the cabinet that we will establish will be to ensure the well-being of the citizens, and the second goal is to raise the reputation of Bulgaria.” Use phrases.

Gabriel also resigned from his position as a member of the European Union Commission.

Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Union Commission, has accepted the resignation of Gabrielle, who was the Commissioner responsible for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, and expressed her gratitude for her services.

Seek support for the Cabinet

Gabriel needs a vote of confidence from at least 121 MPs for the Cabinet.

In this context, Gabriel expects to support the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (HÖH), whose members are mostly Turks and Muslims.

GERB and MRF share similar views on the European Union and NATO, of which the country is a member.

The head of the MRF, Mustafa Karadi, said that they are ready for negotiations to join the Gabriel government within the framework of certain principles.

Gabriel had negotiated with most of the groups represented in Parliament.

Continuing the political tradition of the former Communist Party, pro-Russian and vehemently opposed to sending arms to Ukraine, the leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) Korneliya Ninova gave the message that the support he could give could depend on many conditions.

Gabriel stated that after he was given the task of forming a government, he would first negotiate with the BSP, where he could get the most difficult support.

Toshko Yordanov, head of the 11-member parliamentary bloc of the Populist Party Like This (ITN), which crossed the 4 percent threshold to enter parliament in the last election, also indicated that they would be involved in the negotiations. “For very conditional support.”

According to the Bulgarian constitution, President Radev must first give the GERB party, the largest group in parliament, a mandate to form a government.

Within the scope of the constitutional practice called “parliamentary roulette” in the country, if the first party cannot form a government, its task will be transferred to the second largest group, which is the political power.

The Alliance for Continuous Change – Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB), which has 64 deputies, has declared that it will never support a government formed by the GERB party.

If the first two powers fail to form a government, Radev will give another party in parliament one last chance. If a government cannot be formed in the third round of roulette, Radev dissolves parliament and announces a date for early general elections.

Political observers say that they are still pessimistic about the success of the efforts to form the government, given the conflict of opinion between the forces in the House of Representatives, which consists of 6 groups.

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