GERB MP Temenuzhka Petkova: WCC-DB tried to sabotage the negotiations, they want elections

The submission of declarations of disagreement for participation in a government with Prime Minister Mariya Gabriel by ministers of “We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria”(WCC-DB), I define it in only one way - sabotage. This is an obvious unwillingness to form a cabinet with Prime Minister Mariya Gabriel and a cabinet with the mandate of GERB-UDF. WCC-DB have made it clear that they want elections, Temenuzhka Petkova, deputy chairwoman of GERB-UDF told BNT on March 20.

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"What Mr Vassilev said yesterday about Mariya Gabriel is unacceptable. It is scandalous. I can say one thing for sure - Assen Vassilev should never be finance minister again. Never again should he, and never again will he, receive the support of the political party GERB. There is no way that a man could call a lady, a woman, a mother - 'the beautiful face of the mafia', I am sorry, but this is a person with dignity, with an impeccable reputation, a deputy chair of EPP, a former European Commissioner for Bulgaria, and to be called this - this is unacceptable. Unforgivable. We from GERB will not allow this person (referring to Assen Vassilev) to be in the cabinet in any way.

Whatever he would do as an apology would lead to nothing. Our whole parliamentary group are terribly indignant. He should not count on any support from GERB," Petkova stressed.

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She recalled that in June 2023, a declaration was signed between Mariya Gabriel and Nikolai Denkov (of WCC-DB) on governing the country for the next 18 months - a rotation with an 18-month mandate divided into two terms of 9 months each.

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"All ministers are informed about what is coming next and know that there will be such a rotation. He has given his consent that he will be a minister," Temenuzhka Petkova added.

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She stressed that the way in which Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov resigned on 5 March without Mariya Gabriel's knowledge and in her absence was also indicative.

"This was a dishonest approach on their part (WCC-DB)," Petkova said.

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in 2023, Bulgaria's center-right GERB-UDF, which won a narrow victory in April 2 early parliamentary elections, reached an agreement with the second-placed “We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria” alliance to form a government.

GERB-UDF and "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" agreed on a rotating PM: Nikola Denkov, will lead the government for the first nine months, with Gabriel as his deputy and foreign minister and Denkov will then swap seats with Gabriel, who was the GERB-UDF’s nomination for PM.