In the invitation, it is stated that “there is hardly a representative of the 50th National Assembly who does not realize that the country needs a stable government that can start solving the most urgent problems. This cannot be done without broad parliamentary support and a clear management program.
The meeting with the largest parliamentary group, that of GERB-SDS, is the last of the series of talks on support for a government with the third exploratory mandate, which started on Tuesday – a day after President Rumen Radev handed the third mandate to the ITN parliamentary group. Yesterday, the chairman of the PG of ITN Toshko Yordanov commented that the responsibility of GERB is huge, since there is no response from PP-DB. If we assume that we have a positive answer, we do not have 121 deputies without the participation of GERB. If we have a negative answer, GERB can also act responsibly and have a government, commented Yordanov. According to him, it will be very interesting what the meeting will be like and whether the GERB party with Boyko Borisov will have a statesman's approach, after all the words that were spoken, how the country is in crisis and how a regular government would start to solve the problems or send the country to elections.
On Thursday, GERB leader Boyko Borisov already commented on the talks about the third term, indicating that he considers them useful for after the elections. Borisov confirmed that GERB-SDS will participate in the negotiations with ITN. When asked if he would go personally, the GERB leader said: "If Slavi Trifonov participates, I will also participate. If not – there is a negotiation team". Already after the elections, the leader of GERB stated that they will not support a government with the second or the third mandate. Since then, the position of GERB-SDS has not changed.
On Friday, the deputies from ITN met with the representatives of “We continue the change-Democratic Bulgaria” (PP-DB) and with those of “Revival“.
After the meeting with ITN, PP-DB stated that they will inform their collective bodies and decide on the third mandate. During the meeting with PP-DB, the main focus of the conversation was judicial reform, as well as the need to limit the powers of the Prosecutor General. Main priorities in the health, education, defense sectors were presented and discussed.
Kostadin Kostadinov, leader of “Vazrazhdane”, stated during the meeting that they cannot participate in a government in which there are representatives of GERB and DPS.
During the talks with “BSP for Bulgaria”, during which the two political forces found very similar views. The most important thing is that the general understanding of a regular cabinet is leading, since it is not normal to go to early parliamentary elections six times in three years, commented the chairman of the PG of the "BSP for Bulgaria". Borislav Gutsanov.
An agreement was also reached with the people's representatives from DPS, who are not members of a parliamentary group. After the meeting, Stanislav Balabanov commented that the majority in support of the cabinet had grown to 48 people.
The first were the meetings scheduled with the independent deputies from Velichie, close to Ivelin Mihailov. The only one who came to the meeting was Krasimira Katincharova, with whom no agreement was reached. After that, ITN also met with the deputies around the former chairman of the PG of “Majesty“ Nikolay Markov, with whom they established many common themes and views. Independent MP Viktoria Vasileva pointed out that they support policies and do not claim positions.
The first exploratory mandate was handed over to GERB-SDS. Borisov's party proposed a cabinet composition and a candidate for prime minister, but during the voting in the hall, the nominee Rosen Zhelyazkov did not receive the necessary votes. During the vote on the proposal, the DPS parliamentary group split and this rearranged the political forces in the parliament. Thus, the second mandate instead of DPS went to "We continue the change" – Democratic Bulgaria". They returned it unfulfilled after receiving it.