GERB Proposes Rosen Zhelyazkov for Prime Minister in Minority Government Bid (UPDATED)

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has handed the first exploratory mandate to form a government to Rosen Zhelyazkov, the nominee for Prime Minister from the largest parliamentary group, GERB. In accepting the mandate, President Radev emphasized the significant responsibility given the fragmented parliament and low voter turnout, which could impact institutional legitimacy. Zhelyazkov, nominated by GERB leader Boyko Borissov, presented a cabinet structure comprising one deputy prime minister and 19 ministers.

Tomislav Donchev has been proposed as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth, while Lyudmila Petkova is slated for the Ministry of Finance. Daniel Mitov has been named for the Foreign Ministry, Kalin Stoyanov for the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and Atanas Zapryanov for the Ministry of Defense. Other appointments include Nikolay Nankov (Minister of Regional Development), Maria Pavlova (Minister of Justice), and Delyan Dobrev (Minister of Energy).

Following the presentation of ministerial candidates, Rosen Zhelyazkov requested President Radev to issue a decree and submit the cabinet composition to the National Assembly for approval. Zhelyazkov, formerly the chairman of the 49th National Assembly and Minister of Transport, Information Technologies, and Communications, has been engaged in consultations with President Radev since June 24 to form a government.

During the consultations, various parliamentary groups proposed ideas such as a minority government or an expert cabinet. GERB, insisting on its responsibility, opted for a minority government under the first mandate. Meanwhile, the DPS Deputy Chairman Yordan Tsonev suggested supporting the mandate of the election winner, emphasizing logical coherence in political...