After President Rumen Radev's statement that the country is heading for early elections, the week begins with a key question - will the head of state take the decisive step towards participating in politics. According to former constitutional judge Prof. Plamen Kirov, the scenario remains open, and speculations - more than facts.
On bTV, he commented on the information that appeared over the weekend that the president will announce his departure from “Dondukov“ 2 at any moment and will participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections. However, no such statement followed.
“It is possible that the president will not enter the political arena at all until the end of his term. We have been dealing with the question of when he will do it for a year and a half, and he may not do it at all“, commented Prof. Kirov.
According to him, if Rumen Radev decides to resign, it must be deposited with the Constitutional Court, which will terminate the term with a decision. In such a case, the functions of the head of state are assumed by Vice President Iliana Yotova.
If she also resigns, the Constitution provides for the holding of early presidential elections within two months, and until then the Speaker of the National Assembly will perform the functions of president.
Prof. Kirov also drew attention to the complicated procedure for appointing an acting prime minister after the changes to the Constitution of 2023. He warned that if all potential candidates listed in the so-called “home book“ refuse, the country could fall into an institutional case.
On the topic of a possible nomination of Andrey Gyurov as acting prime minister, Prof. Kirov expressed skepticism. According to him, the active political support from parties has turned Gyurov into a clear political figure, which contradicts the principle of neutrality of the acting cabinet.
“They did him a disservice by elevating him politically. The acting prime minister should be a figure equidistant from the parties“, Kirov emphasized.
The former constitutional judge also commented on the frequent changes to the Constitution and the Electoral Code, warning that “touching the knee“ in the basic law leads to a violation of the balance of powers. According to him, it is not the job of the Constitutional Court to give guidance to the legislator on how to change the electoral rules.