Patriotic Front Ready to Consider Taking Part in Next Bulgarian Gov't

The nationalist coalition Patriotic Front is ready to review its previous decision not to have ministers in Bulgaria's next cabinet, its co-head Valeri Simeonov said on Sunday.

Simeonov told Darik Radio he was surprised by conservative GERB's sudden demand that nationalists should be represented in government, instead of just supporting it, as both political entities had initially agreed.

During this week's consultations between GERB and the PF, the latter made clear it would back the cabinet, but did not want to be in the cabinet, insisting the government should be composed of experts, not politicians.

Nationalists are to hold a political council later on Sunday to discuss and subsequently confirm or reverse their decision.

On Friday GERB's Tsetska Tsacheva, former Parliament Speaker and also one of the negotiators sent by GERB to carry out consultations on behalf of the part, pointed out the Patriots should uphold to GERB's initial idea of "a political cabinet of shared responsibility".

Also on Sunday morning GERB and the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) held a second round of talks, with GERB leader Boyko Borisov criticizing during the conservatives and socialists' joint press conference the choice of the Patriotic Front not to take part in the government.