Bulgaria: Second No-Confidence Vote Against the Zhelyazkov Cabinet Fails

The second vote of no confidence against Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov's government was also unsuccessful. The motion, proposed by the parliamentary groups of MECH, Greatness, and Revival, cited the government's failure in combating corruption.

The vote saw 71 deputies in support and 131 voting against. The parliamentary group of WCC-DB chose not to participate in the vote.

A request for a re-vote was made by a deputy from DPS. In this second round, 72 deputies voted in favor, while 130 voted against.

In the previous no-confidence vote, which addressed the government’s failure in foreign policy, the administration received support from 150 deputies.

GERB leader Boyko Borissov affirmed that Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov’s government will continue functioning as a minority cabinet. During the session, attended by all members of the Council of Ministers, GERB MP Kostadin Angelov proposed ending the session after the vote — a motion backed by 142 deputies. The next sitting of the National Assembly is scheduled as an extraordinary session on April 29, dedicated to parliamentary oversight. Speaker Natalia Kiselova reminded MPs that a new no-confidence motion on the same grounds cannot be submitted for another six months.

The latest no-confidence vote was initiated by the MECH parliamentary group with support from Revival and Greatness, citing failures in anti-corruption efforts across various policy areas, including issues related to Botas. This marked the second no-confidence motion against the Zhelyazkov government; the first, led by Revival’s Kostadin Kostadinov, targeted the government’s foreign policy.

Following the vote, which failed, Revival MP Tsoncho Ganev stated that despite the result, the parliamentary landscape had shifted. According to him, support from Delyan Peevski’s faction of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) and the WCC-DB coalition had replaced the previous backing from Ahmed Dogan’s DPS. He pointed out that Borissov had publicly thanked WCC-DB for abstaining from the vote. Ganev argued that voting patterns in parliament now reflect this new alignment.

Delyan Peevski, leader of DPS – New Beginning, dismissed the vote as another futile effort, calling it a waste of time. Kostadin Kostadinov of Revival described the outcome as predictable but claimed it revealed a new majority in parliament controlled by Peevski, with support only from WCC-DB and Peevski’s group. He announced plans for a third no-confidence vote, this time potentially focusing on energy and internal security, and said consultations with other opposition groups, including Dogan’s DPS, would be held — but not with WCC-DB, which he now considers part of the ruling bloc. He also warned of a possible 10% budget deficit by year-end and accused the government of risking bankruptcy under the pretext of joining the eurozone.

Earlier, Borissov expressed confidence ahead of the vote. He reiterated that the government’s focus remained on eurozone entry, implementation of the Recovery and Resilience Plan, anti-corruption legislation, and key reforms. He noted that Bulgaria had met the inflation criteria according to Eurostat and stressed that nothing would divert him from pursuing euro adoption. He thanked WCC-DB for not backing the no-confidence motion, arguing that their pro-European stance made collaboration with parties like Revival and Greatness inappropriate.

WCC-DB clarified their position, stating they chose not to support the vote due to the importance of eurozone accession but signaled plans to submit their own no-confidence motion after the convergence report is published on June 4. MP Venko Sabrutev described Bulgaria’s entry into the eurozone as one of the most significant anti-corruption measures the country could undertake.

Peevski also voiced full support for the government, stating that while his party is not part of the cabinet and will not seek ministerial positions, they back policies that benefit the public.