Patriotic Front

At the present moment, we will not support the Patriotic Front for the forming of a government, said to journalists in Parliament the chairman of the parliamentary group of GERB Tsvetan Tsvetanov.

President Rossen Plevneliev will hold talks with representatives of the Patriotic Front and the Bulgarian Democratic Centre - Naroden Sayuz within the framework of the political consultations with the parties represented in Parliament for dealing with the government crisis.

The budget of the National Social Security Institute (NSSI) was adopted at first reading by Parliament.

77 of the 133 MPs present voted "for". 19 of BSP deputies and 10 of DPS deputies were "against". The Patriotic Front, who were "against" the draft budget during the debates, finally abstained excluding one.

The treasury will lose over BGN 2.7 B if the minimum pension of BGN 300, insisted upon by the Patriotic Front, and the progressive income tax, demanded by BSP, are approved, stated Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov to journalists at the Council of Ministers.

The budget will lose BGN 1.5 B if a minimum pension of BGN 300 is introduced, stated Goranov, cited by BTA.

Given a decision on the part of Bulgaria's President Rosen Plevneliev to hand over the third mandate for the forming of a government within the framework of the 43rd Parliament to the Patriotic Front, the mandate might not be returned immediately, but an attempt might be made to form a government, reported Denvnik daily.

Three of the main formations in Parliament - BSP, DPS and the Patriotic Front are delaying their final statements on the budget for 2017 which will be discussed at first reading in Parliament on Thursday.

So far, the draft budget has been approved by parliamentary commissions thanks to the votes of GERB and the Reformist Bloc.

BSP and DPS deputies are voting "against".

Bulgaria's Finance Minister Vladislav Goranov has dismissed claims of Parliament's budgetary committee head that the government intends on withdrawing the draft budget for next year.

In a statement, Goranov declares that the budget already filed with Parliament will not "fall hostage to the unprincipled political confrontation... [and] populism."

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has said he will step down next week, just after his candidate Tsetska Tsacheva emerged as a loser of the presidential election's runoff.

He has also urged an early election, warning the next government would be made by the socialist opposition party BSP and ethnic Turk-dominared DPS if his mandate is handed over to the socialists.

Bulgarian lawmakers on Wednesday have voted to adjourn all plenary sessions for until after the presidential election's runoff vote on Sunday.

This comes after a controversial decision early in October to cancel all sessions throughout the campaign that was later reversed.

The Bulgarian national interest will be the core priority of the newly emerged nationalist coalition even after the presidential election, candidate Krasimir Karakachanov has said.