President to "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria": It is not appropriate to hand you the mandate, but I will respect the Constitution

President Rumen Radev handed the second mandate to seek to form a government to the second largest parliamentary party - the coalition "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria". Atanas Atanasov from DB told the President to assign Acad. Nikolay Denkov to propose a cabinet to be submitted to the National Assembly for a vote.

Radostin Vassilev leaves WCC-DB group, released recordings of meetings of the co-leaders

"As President and Commander-in-Chief, I am directly involved in national security and called to defend Bulgarian statehood. It is for this very reason that it is inappropriate of me to hand you a mandate in the face of and after the leaked recordings and to place the fate of Bulgaria in the hands of your party leaders after the leaked recordings and subsequent public confessions. Because of the torpedoing of Bulgarian sovereignty, the vilification and planned purge in the services and the state administration, the request to interfere in the elections through the Ministry of the Interior and to discredit the leaders of European institutions and the name of Bulgaria. But by virtue of the Constitution I am obliged to hand over this exploratory mandate," President Rumen Radev said.

Its use is your constitutional right, but for the sake of preserving the remnants of normality and trust in the political system to preserve your dignity and political perspective and to preserve Bulgaria's image before our European partners, I urge you to reconsider fully the expediency of using this mandate, which has already been discredited, the President added.

For his part, Acad. Nikolay Denkov told the President that Bulgaria needs a stable government:

"A government that will solve the people's problems and that will decisively move Bulgaria's European path forward. However, Bulgaria also needs a stable Parliament. The most urgent thing is the adoption of the budget, on which salaries, pensions, capital expenditures, repairs of roads, schools, kindergartens, hospitals depend, and without a budget they cannot happen. That is why it is very important for Parliament to continue to work regularly and to take its decisions. We are waiting for changes in the anti-corruption laws, changes in the Penal Code, including those related to the war on the roads, and perhaps also changes in the Constitution to strengthen the judiciary."

Denkov stressed that in the coming days they will negotiate with the other parliamentary forces to form a regular government that will achieve the goals and objectives set out in their governance and legislative programme.

"I sincerely hope that this effort of ours will be supported and that next week we will have a regularly elected stable government. I know the task is difficult and delicate, but not impossible," said Acad. Nikolay Denkov.