Snap Elections On The Horizon: How Did We Get Here?
Politics | March 26, 2024, Tuesday // 19:10| views
Today, "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) proposed the implementation of the second mandate with a prime minister from GERB, along with signing an agreement on reforms in the judicial system, security services, and regulators. However, Boyko Borissov's party (GERB) rejected this proposal.
This development occurred shortly after the parliament acknowledged the failure of GERB's first mandate with Prime Minister Mariya Gabriel.
The announcement follows weeks of disagreement between GERB and WCC-DB regarding the potential continuation of their coalition government. This disagreement coincided with the planned rotation of the prime minister position between Nikolai Denkov and Mariya Gabriel. Key points of contention included the composition of the Cabinet of Ministers and the terms of the reform agreement.
Later in the day, President Rumen Radev declared that he would hand over the second mandate to WCC-DB on Wednesday at 3 p.m.
According to the Constitution, in the event of the unsuccessful implementation of the first mandate, the second mandate must be transferred to the second most influential parliamentary group, which is WCC-DB. All parties except 'Revival' have stated their refusal to support a second term and have committed to returning the unfulfilled third term if awarded.
Subsequently, the president allocates the third mandate to a party outside the top two parliamentary groups.
If no government is formed with any of the three mandates, the next course of action is early elections, followed by the appointment of a caretaker government by the president.
Failure of the first mandate
On Tuesday, a draft resolution declaring the first attempt to form a government unsuccessful received support from 226 MPs, with only one abstention from WCC-DB.
The debates lasted slightly over an hour and were marked by criticism from opposition parties such as the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), 'Revival', and 'There Is Such a People'. Notably, no representatives from GERB or DPS took part in the discussions.
On March 19, Mariya Gabriel returned a completed mandate for forming a government to President Radev. However, as it was not coordinated with WCC-DB, ministers from the coalition declined to participate in it formally.
Subsequently, on Monday, Gabriel submitted an application to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Rosen Zhelyazkov, and the GERB Parliamentary Group, announcing her decision not to participate in the process of electing the Prime Minister or proposing the composition of the Council of Ministers.
In response, Rosen Zhelyazkov called for an extraordinary parliamentary session on Tuesday, focusing solely on Gabriel's draft decision.
Proposal of WCC-DB and GERB's response
Following the parliament's decision, the second mandate will be transferred to WCC-DB.
"We affirm our readiness to fulfill this mandate alongside the GERB parliamentary group. We are prepared to do so in accordance with the commitments we made to each other nine months ago," stated Atanas Atanasov, co-chair of Democratic Bulgaria, representing the coalition.
Atanasov emphasized that if GERB fails to respond to their invitation, the coalition will return the mandate unexecuted.
The proposal from WCC-DB for forming a government includes:
- Both coalitions signing an agreement committing to reforms in the judicial system, regulatory bodies, and security services, with clearly defined implementation timelines.
- The Prime Minister position being filled by a candidate mutually acceptable to both coalitions, nominated by GERB.
- Maintaining the current composition and structure of the Council of Ministers.
"There is a straightforward proposition on the table - an agreement mandating reforms in the judiciary, to be implemented transparently and not just on paper," remarked Kiril Petkov, co-chair of WCC-DB.
In a response issued later on Tuesday, GERB leader Boyko Borissov declined the proposal put forth by WCC-DB in a letter addressed to the media and the coalition.
"We affirm that we will not engage in endeavors to establish a government with the second and third mandates. Let the Bulgarian citizens determine through elections who will govern Bulgaria and how," stated the GERB announcement.
The statement further highlights that Mariya Gabriel was subjected to humiliation by ministers associated with WCC-DB, leading to the inability to fulfill the first mandate.
How did we get here?
In April 2023, WCC-DB and GERB reached an agreement for shared governance with a rotational system for prime ministers. Following this arrangement, Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov resigned on March 6. His successor was intended to be Mariya Gabriel, but discord between the two coalitions hindered this transition.
Ahead of the rotation, GERB demanded increased authority, a coalition for a full term, ministerial reshuffles, while WCC-DB sought a concrete reform agenda, including a mechanism for appointing key institution personnel. These differing stances created friction between the coalitions.
On Sunday, outgoing Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov proposed a final compromise to GERB for implementing the first mandate: Mariya Gabriel would assume the roles of Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, aligning with GERB's initial preference, along with committing to a reform agreement. However, on Monday, Gabriel officially withdrew her candidacy for the first term.
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Tags: GERB, WCC-DB, Gabriel, Denkov