GERB’s Proposed PM Fails to Impress Bulgarian Opposition

Mariya Gabriel, GERB's European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth. Photo: European Parliament.

GERB expects to receive a mandate from President Rumen Radev to form a government. The party is yet to announce other offerings for ministerial positions.

On Tuesday, Borissov hinted that the party's nomination for PM would be someone who can "put order in the chaos" and made a last call to reformist allies in "We Continue the Change" and Democratic Bulgaria to collaborate on a future cabinet. 

GERB, running along with United Democratic Forces, came first in the latest inconclusive elections on April 2, the fifth general election in two years.

But Borissov's team found itself in a similar situation as in April 2021 and October 2022 - with a limited supply of allies after coming first in elections, a byproduct of the fragmented opposition. 

Over the last month, Borissov has abstained from making moves to his traditional allies in the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, or to the pro-Kremlin Bulgarian Socialist Party and Revival, and has focused on luring his bigger opponents, led by 2021-2022 PM Kiril Petkov.

At the same time, "We Continue the Change" and Democratic Bulgaria have built up their own following on the promise of a complete reform of GERB's legacy and by being as far as possible from Borissov's sphere of influence. 

Gabriel was born in 1979. She was a Member of the European Parliament between 2009 and 2017 and was a Vice-President of the European People's Party EPP group in 2014-2017.

Since 2019, she has been GERB's European Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, after being nominated for the position by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen....