Delyan Dobrev

GERB and DPS are seven votes short of forming a regular government. Tomorrow, the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) will decide whether to support the first mandate at a party executive bureau meeting, OFFNews reported.

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.

An extraordinary session in the Bulgarian Parliament took a tumultuous turn as members of the pro-Russian party "Vazrazhdane" party sought to disrupt proceedings, sparking turmoil within the debating chamber. The session, primarily focused on critical energy-related amendments, was marred by dramatic interruptions and attempts to silence discussions by shutting down the sound system.

In a rapid ten-minute session, lawmakers backing Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov swiftly endorsed a proposal outlining the schedule for constructing units 7 and 8 at the Kozloduy Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) using American technology.

The power-sharing coalition comprising GERB-SDS and WCC-DB, supported by DPS, has agreed to terminate Bulgaria's exemption from the EU's ban on exporting derivatives from Russian oil by January 1, 2024, and end the exemption for Russian oil imports by March 1, 2024, as shared by Jordan Tzonev, Chair of the parliamentary Budget and Finance Committee.

Speculations are rife about the potential buyer for Lukoil Neftohim Burgas refinery, with Azerbaijani state oil company SOCAR emerging as the primary contender, as reported by Trud newspaper.

Bulgaria's National Assembly cast a crucial vote, tallying 94-55 with 61 abstentions, dismissing a proposed bill by GERB-SDS's Delyan Dobrev. The bill aimed to swiftly rescind an exception allowing the processing of Russian-sourced oil, a move in response to an EU-issued ban.

In a crucial parliamentary session today, Bulgaria delves into heated discussions about ending the derogation for Russian oil imports. Proposed drafts by GERB-SDS and WCC-DB are at the heart of this debate, aiming to alter the Law on the Control of Implementation of Restrictive Measures amid Russia's actions in Ukraine.

The "Lukoil - Neftohim" refinery in Burgas has promised Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov to pay over 500 million leva (250 million euros) in taxes, and in return the state will keep the derogation (exception) from the European ban on the import of Russian crude oil.

Deputies from three parliamentary groups - GERB, WCC-DB and DPS - submitted a proposal to the National Assembly to attempt to sell equipment for the "Belene" Nuclear Power Plant to Ukraine through negotiations. This was announced by the initiators Delyan Dobrev and Ivaylo Mirchev.

The proposal was submitted to the registry of the National Assembly.