Negotiations for Forming Bulgarian Government Collapse

No agreement was reached on the composition of a future government or the name of a prime minister candidate during Sunday’s negotiations between GERB-UDF, Democratic Bulgaria (DB), BSP-United Left, and There Is Such a People (TISP) in the National Assembly, according to a GERB-UDF press release, CE Report quotes BTA

After DB rejected GERB-UDF's initial prime ministerial nominee, party leader Boyko Borissov, the coalition proposed Rosen Zhelyazkov as an alternative. However, DB also refused to support Zhelyazkov's nomination, leading GERB-UDF to terminate the talks.

GERB-UDF expressed gratitude to BSP-United Left and TISP for their participation and constructive approach during the negotiations.

BSP-United Left Deputy Floor Leader Manol Genov stated that GERB-UDF's decision on whether to return the unfulfilled mandate for forming a government is their own. "On Tuesday, we begin work as per the rules – committees, meetings. Whether the mandate will be handed back immediately is up to the largest party, GERB," Genov said, adding that another round of early parliamentary elections seems inevitable.

In a separate press release, Democratic Bulgaria said they learned from the media that GERB-UDF had ended the negotiations. DB stated that the agreement for joint governance remains incomplete, despite progress. They reiterated their position that a prime minister and government composition should only be decided after a finalized agreement and a leadership meeting, emphasizing their preference for a prime minister who is not a leading political figure.

The collapse of the negotiations signals continued uncertainty for the formation of a stable government in Bulgaria.