Bulgarian Socialist Party

Rumen Radev (right) and Mariya Gabriel, the GERB-SDS party's candidate for prime minister, at a ceremony to hand over the mandate to form a new government in Sofia on Monday. Photo: EPA-EFE/VASSIL DONEV

BSP leader Kornelia Ninova asked GERB how they would agree on two topics - the rapid entry into the Eurozone and the provision of arms to Ukraine. She stated this at the meeting between the leaders of the two parties.

"There must be a working government and parliament. For us, the budget comes first.

GERB-SDS today started expert-level talks with the other parties in the 49th parliament in search of support for broadcasting a first-term government.

The budget, health care and social policy were among the main topics of the meeting with the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), stated the chairperson of the Parliamentary Group of GERB-SDS Desislava Atanasova.

GERB party leader Boyko Borissov speaks during a-post-election press conference in Sofia, 5 April 2023. Photo: EPA-EFE/VASSIL DONEV

On Thursday, GERB leader and former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov reconfirmed that he has stopped discussions with his opponents in "We Continue the Change" and Democratic Bulgaria on forming a government.

In the project-government that "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) would propose with the second term, Kiril Petkov (initially named as deputy prime minister with the Schengen and Eurozone portfolio) drops out, but Asen Vassilev remains the proposed minister of finance.

The executive bureau of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) decided that the socialists would not support the draft budget submitted by the caretaker government. This was announced at a press conference by the leader of the party, Kornelia Ninova.

President Rumen Radev continues the political consultations for forming a government with the parliamentary groups in the 49th National Assembly. Shortly after 1:00 p.m., the meeting with the representatives of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) began.

"I wish a long life and a job well done to the 49th National Assembly. The Bulgarian society wants to have stability and security. This is our common task, it cannot continue like this any longer.

Shortly before midnight, the Central Election Commission (CEC) announced the final results of the early parliamentary vote on Sunday - April 2, according to which six political formations entered the 49th National Assembly.

The question of changing the leadership in the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) does not stand. Party leader Kornelia Ninova will not resign, despite the historically poor result of Sunday's vote.

This became clear at the BSP's first briefing after the elections, in which the party received 8.94%.