The President handed over exploratory mandate to form a government to GERB - UDF (summary)

President Rumen Radev on March 18 handed over the first government-forming mandate to Mariya Gabriel - a candidate for Prime Minister of GERB-UDF.

President Radev handed over the first government-forming mandate to Mariya Gabriel of GERB-UDF

GERB-UDF is the largest parliamentary group and by the constitution it is entitled to receive the first mandate to seek to form a government.

Together with the GERB-UDF leadership, Nikolai Denkov and Kiril Petkov of the power sharing partner “We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria” (WCC-DB) came to the presidential institution. At the insistence of the WCC-DB, the negotiations between the two parliamentary groups will continue. Gabriel insists that within 24 hours they will try to resolve the contradictions. The candidates for ministers, proposed by GERB-UDF are unacceptable for WCC-DB.

Unprecedented, Mariya Gabriel and the leadership of GERB-UDF came to the presidential institution 15 minutes late. They arrived at the President’s office together with the outgoing Prime Minister, Nikolai Denkov, and the co-chairman of WCC-DB group, Kiril Petkov, who suggested that the negotiations lasted until the last second. The deputy chair of the GERB-UDF group, Temenuzhka Petkova, also confirmed to the head of state that their candidate for Prime Minister is Mariya Gabriel. President Rumen Radev handed her the first exploratory mandate.

"Pursuant to Article 99 of the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria, I hand you an exploratory mandate to form a government. May I remind you that you have 7 days to present the structure and composition of the Council of Ministers," President Rumen Radev said.

"I accept the mandate on behalf of the GERB-UDF Group with a sense of responsibility for the fact that Bulgaria needs stability, but stability that is built on clear principles, on public transparency, on shared responsibility and on equality of those who decide to bear the responsibility for Bulgaria," said GERB-UDF Prime Minister-designate Mariya Gabriel.

Mariya Gabriel asked President Rumen Radev to sit down to share with him how the negotiations with WCC-DB are going. They spoke behind closed doors. Later she announced to the media:

"We have been asked by the WCC-DB colleagues for some more time. We need within the shortest possible timeframe, to be able to show it and in the next 24 hours finalise the negotiations. Once again, the agreement and the composition of the cabinet go as a package," Mariya Gabriel added.

Gabriel clarified that there are no differences between the two parliamentary groups on the priority topics - reforms in the judiciary, the fight against corruption, regulators. But she stressed that the final clarifications should be completed as soon as possible.

"I say it the way I said it to my colleagues from WCC-DB - seven days is the deadline, but I do not accept it. (according to the constitution, the holder of the first mandate has a period of seven days to fulfil it or return the mandate unfulfilled),We should, within the shortest timeframe possible, resolve what remains and come out and share it with you. Negotiations will continue this afternoon that is what we have agreed," Gabriel explained.

The composition of the Council of Ministers proposed by GERB is unacceptable to us, outgoing PM Denkov said

Nikolai Denkov explained that they need more time because for the first time this morning they heard the names of the candidates for ministers proposed by GERB-UDF and for them they are unacceptable.

"What I can say is that this morning what was presented as a draft line-up, we see it for the first time. In this form it is unacceptable to us, so we are yet to discuss the composition of the cabinet," said outgoing Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov.

He agreed that the negotiations on the agreement and the composition of the draft cabinet should go together as a package. He also noted that until yesterday it was not clear whether GERB-UDF would sign the agreement or not.

"Yesterday we were told - it will not be signed. Now we have an agreement that this agreement will be signed. If we have to, we will refine the texts further and we can also look at the line-up. Our understanding is that they should be signed together," Denkov stressed.

"Our position is very clear that we will sign the agreement. We said yesterday that we need this thing to be discussed, so I am glad that today the negotiations are continuing," Gabriel added.

Both assured that they will announce their position when they reach a final decision.

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In June 2023, after two-years of election cycle, GERB-UDF and Parliament’s second-largest group, “We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria” agreed on a cabinet with a prime minister on a rotating basis.

According to this agreement, WCC-DB’s Nikolai Denkov initially took office as Prime Minister, with GERB-UDF’s Gabriel as Deputy PM, and after nine months, in March 2024, GERB’s Mariya Gabriel, a former EU commissioner, would take over and the two would then switch posts again after a further nine months.

"We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) on February 20 offered their power sharing partners from GERB-UDF a memorandum with the main goals of the government in the next nine months.

Kiril Petkov of WCC-DB said that one of the important items in this memorandum are the regulators, where WCC-DB and GERB-UDF should have equal quotas. Petkov added that the memorandum will be signed by the political leaders, and by Mariya Gabriel and Nikolai Denkov.

Petkov also suggested that if the two power-sharing alliances, WCC-DB and GERB -UDF fail to reach an agreement, early parliamentary elections should be held simultaneously with the European elections.

New turbulence in the ruling majoirty over WCC-DB memorandum - will there be a 2-in-1 election?

On February 27, GERB leader Boyko Borisov said that his party is preparing a coalition agreement to offer to its power-sharing partner, “We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria” for a full government term in office.

This was announced shortly after WCC-DB said they prepared a draft memorandum of agreement with GERB.

GERB first rejected it but then said they would consider it.

Cabinet rotation or 2-in-1 elections - clarity expected on 8 March

Borissov explained that the proposed coalition agreement will cover the term in office of the government, the composition of the government and the assessment of the ministers' performance. GERB also wanted the number of ministers to be proportionate to the weight of the political parties in Parliament

Borissov confirmed that GERB's proposal will provide for a rotation of Prime Ministers. He noted that this document would not be a memorandum, but a coalition agreement.

On March 5, GERB presented coalition agreement proposal to power sharing partners from WCC-DB

WCC-DB on GERB-UDF's coalition agreement proposal: A step towards constructive dialogue