After the political storm: are the power sharing partners ready for new negotiations?

The power sharing partners are ready to continue the negotiations. This is the conclusion of today's political day after the accusations and insults exchanged yesterday. For GERB-UDF the return to the negotiating table is possible if the leaders of “We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria” (WCC-DB), Assen Vassilev, Kiril Petkov and Nikolai Denkov apologise to Mariya Gabriel, whom they yesterday described as "the beautiful face of the mafia". So far there has been no apology offered.

Kiril Petkov's condition is related to GERB-UDF leader Boyko Borissov. Petkov insists that Borissov continue the negotiations instead of the negotiating team. Alrn In the morning Borissov refused, but it is quite possible to see a change in these dynamics of the talks. Atanas Atanasov said they could return to the negotiations if the entire leadership team of WCC-DB agrres. Delyan Peevski of MRF, whose party secures the constitutional and Euro-Atlantic majority in his typical style of morning briefings on the important issues for the country, admitted that MRF’s support for the Gabriel cabinet was in exchange of sitting at the negotiating table.

Before the start of the parliamentary day on March 20, Boyko Borissov and y Gabriel, together with the entire GERB - UDF group stood together in front of the media.

“First of all I expect an apology. I expect an apology for the epithets and insults. In 9 months I have not allowed myself anything like that. I expect an apology for that because, secondly, I have not violated the Constitution. The decree was issued to appoint a Prime Minister. Thirdly, with regard to ministers. I remind you that all the ministers who are ministers now, though they are outgoing, have made a commitment, 9 months ago, for a period of 18 months," Mariya Gabriel, GERB-UDF’s Prime minister designate said.

Gabriel stressed, however, that it is the right of ministers to recuse themselves at this point, noting that this could be interpreted differently:

“I continue to believe that Bulgaria needs a government. Bulgaria needs stability. Bulgaria needs to clearly state to its citizens that it needs a government of shared responsibility and, as it happened during the negotiations, that the two partners GERB-UDF and WCC-DB should be equal in it."

Boyko Borissov backed Gabriel and recalled that during the 9 months of joint governance, he had heard many epithets from WCC-DB:

"When you use such epithets, as the ones we heard from them (WCC-DB) last night, you show a real face - actually. And the declarations of refusal given yesterday are in violation of our agreement that these cabinets would operate on an 18-month rotation."

GERB-UDF leader Borissov: An apology can bring us back to the negotiating table

Borissov explained that it is now very difficult for him to get GERB-UDF to take a step back. And he declared that the goal of the GERB-UDF negotiating team was to form a cabinet, not to undermine the process:

"I call on them to apologise immediately to GERB-UDF and personally to Mariya Gabriel."

Borissov explained, however, why he would not participate in a leadership meeting with WCC-DB:

"I don't want such a meeting because they are behaving badly. If you attend a meeting in which Kiril Petkov breaks bottles and glass on the table, will you still want leadership meetings. So, we have always said, and Mariya Gabriel said it yesterday and said it today. We want to have a government. The question now is how both sides can take such a turn after what they have said."

From Democratic Bulgaria, only Atanas Atanasov commented that there is a possibility for the continuation of the negotiations with GERB-UDF:

"I heard what Mr Borissov said, we will get together to discuss. We treat the situation responsibly. We are aware that the society does not want elections. We said it last night, regardless of emotions. I express my personal opinion, yes - we could go back to the negotiations, I will propose this to my colleagues, but we will take the decision together."

MRF chairman, Delyan Peevski, confirmed the party's position that GERB-UDF and WCC-DB should make a government:

“I can't understand all these explanations that are flying around and bickering over who we are more friends with whom, I told you a long time ago I am a friend of both GERB-UDF and WCC-DB, but I am also a friend of Bulgaria. There is a mandate (to form a government) with Mariya Gabriel as Prime Minister, now if they want to apologise and forgive each other. Let them make up their minds. This is childish...between them."

Peevski explained that for the so-called floating majorities, the text of the agreement was written by him and Kiril Petkov, and GERB-UDF only agreed on it:

As WCC- DB said: please don't let it be recorded that it is with the MRF. It is clear that it is you. No, the people of the MRF are not second class, they are first class, like all other Bulgarian citizens and we will sit as their representatives at the table and when they want our support, they will take it at the table, in front of all of you and in front of our voters."

"We Continue the Change" said that today it would refrain from commenting on the condition set by GERB.

- Mr Minchev, will you apologise to Gabriel?

Nikola Minchev, MP from WCC-DB: "I did not say anything."

- Will you apologise to Mariya Gabriel?

Daniel Lorer, MP from WCC-DB: "I will come back after the event.

- Which event?

Daniel Lorer: "The Francophonie."

Minutes later, Daniel Lorer came back to answer the question:

- What is going on with Mariya Gabriel, are you going to apologise, as they asked, and is she the 'beautiful face of the mafia', as your colleague Assen Vassilev says?

Daniel Lorer: 'I think you are not asking the right question. The right question for the viewers to answer."

- Let us decide which is the right question and you give the answers, after all, we are journalists.

Daniel Lorer: "The right question is why trust was broken yesterday."

- Why was it broken?

Daniel Lorer: "It's very important to say it so that everybody understands. What happened yesterday showed that we cannot trust Mariya Gabriel at this moment."

Thus, in the coming days it is to be seen - whether and how on the one hand GERB-UDF and on the other hand WCC-DB will again make steps towards the necessary minimum of trust and whether this will lead to the election of a new regular government or to early elections.

Images by Dessislva Kulelieva, BNT