Bulgaria’s Zhelyazkov Government Survives Fourth No-Confidence Vote

The Bulgarian government, led by Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, withstood its fourth vote of no confidence. The motion, centered on failures in environmental and water policy, was tabled by “Greatness” with the backing of “Revival” and MECH. A total of 83 MPs supported the proposal, including members from “We Continue the Change” (WCC), the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (DPS-Dogan), “Greatness”, “Revival”, and MECH. However, 131 deputies from GERB, BSP, TISP, and “DPS–New Beginning” (DPS-Peevski) voted against it, and no abstentions were recorded.

The debate on the motion took place a day earlier and lasted nearly four hours. Dogan's party declared during the session that it would support the vote. Prior to the proceedings, "Democratic Bulgaria" (DB) stated it would abstain from participation, and “We Continue the Change” later clarified it would support only those no-confidence votes that did not jeopardize Bulgaria’s European course.

Bozhanov's Symbolic Gesture and Verbal Clashes

After the result was announced, Bozhidar Bozhanov of WCC-DB approached the parliamentary rostrum holding a folder he intended to hand to GERB leader Boyko Borissov, who had already left the chamber. According to Bozhanov, the folder contained the resignation of “Revival” MP Tsoncho Ganev. Addressing Borissov directly, Bozhanov implied that Borissov had the power to either support Russian proxies or reject them. He left the folder on the front bench.

The response from “Revival” leader Kostadin Kostadinov was immediate and scathing. He accused Bozhanov of backing a vote initiated by alleged Russian agents and questioned whether this was due to ideological alignment or a lack of political integrity. Kostadinov also described WCC-DB’s behavior as “schizophrenic” and inconsistent.

Tsoncho Ganev himself accused the government of attempting to falsify inflation data to meet eurozone entry criteria. He claimed that the DB’s decision to cast a single vote in favor of the motion was a sign of internal division. Ganev also warned that if “Revival ” entered government, it would do everything possible to block eurozone accession from January 1, 2026.

Reactions from the Ruling Bloc

Boyko Borissov reacted positively, labeling the vote “very successful.” He reiterated that the alignment of “We Continue the Change” with “Revival” and pro-Russian factions was now evident. In his view, this revealed the opposition’s contradictions. Borissov emphasized the benefits of the euro and praised recent upgrades to Bulgaria’s credit rating by international agencies, stating they reflect the country’s positive trajectory. He dismissed Bozhanov’s actions as attempts to mask political failure and declared the week a success for Bulgaria, thanks to GERB’s role.

Parliament Speaker Natalia Kiselova, speaking from the rostrum, called for the opposition to focus on legislative work rather than symbolic gestures. She warned against reducing parliamentary activity to noise from vocal minorities or silence from passive majorities, saying such dynamics threatened constitutional order.

Peevski and Greatness Respond

Delyan Peevski of “DPS-New Beginning” dismissed the motion as pointless, asserting that such votes offer no real benefit to the electorate and accusing pro-Russian parties of lacking relevance. He suggested the opposition should find a different occupation.

From the parliamentary rostrum, “Greatness” leader Ivelin Mihaylov countered that this vote of no confidence was particularly significant, unlike earlier ones. He claimed that environmental failures could be directly linked to criminal inaction, both by the current administration and previous governments. Mihaylov argued that a prime minister unable to manage the Council of Ministers should resign without needing a no-confidence procedure.

Track Record of No-Confidence Motions Against the Zhelyazkov Cabinet

The latest motion is the fourth attempt to unseat the government. The first was held on April 3, initiated by “Revival” and supported by “Greatness” and MECH, on the grounds of foreign policy failure. Only 54 MPs voted in favor, while 150 opposed it. The second, on April 17, focused on corruption. It garnered 72 votes in favor and 130 against after a repeat vote.

On July 4, the third attempt, citing failed fiscal policy, again failed - receiving only 54 votes in favor against 130 votes opposed.

Future No-Confidence Vote Planned

Following the fourth failed motion, “Greatness” announced plans to initiate a fifth vote of no confidence, this time targeting illegal construction and labeling it a national security threat. Mihaylov claimed that this most recent vote was the most successful to date, with six political formations participating. He blamed the defeat on alleged vote-buying by GERB and DPS-Peevski, stating that if the elections had been fair, the government would already have fallen.

Democratic Bulgaria: One Vote as a Signal

Bozhidar Bozhanov clarified that Democratic Bulgaria cast a single leadership vote in support of the motion to express their opposition role, but did not join what he termed the “Russian train.” He insisted that hollow votes only serve the ruling party by reinforcing their legitimacy. Although DB is in opposition, Bozhanov emphasized the need for meaningful actions rather than symbolic alignments.