Five Prime Ministers in Bulgaria? Borissov and Peevski Explain Government Roles

GERB leader Boyko Borissov has claimed that Bulgaria currently has “five prime ministers,” pointing to a coalition of political actors he believes are all exercising de facto control over government decisions. Speaking in the parliamentary lobby, Borissov listed Slavi Trifonov (TISP) as prime minister, alongside Zafirov (BSP), himself, Rosen Zhelyazkov (GERB), and Delyan Peevski (DPS-New Beginning). He argued that only if he personally held the office of prime minister would certain local issues, such as the ongoing water problem in Pleven, have already been resolved.

Borissov criticized the opposition for what he called collective irresponsibility, accusing them of prioritizing political point-scoring over the country’s welfare. Addressing concerns about Bulgaria’s access to funds from the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), amid the arrest of Varna Mayor Blagomir Kotsev, Borissov confirmed that delays are possible but maintained that the payments would ultimately be delivered. He argued that some political actors, particularly the "We Continue the Change" (WCC) party, are focused solely on their survival rather than the state’s stability or the distribution of resources.

The former prime minister also condemned political arrests, framing them as actions carried out without judicial process. He highlighted the case of Kotsev’s custody as a personal disappointment, noting his own experience with political detentions. Regarding the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Borissov said its formation would proceed when possible but lamented the current lack of parliamentary quorum to move forward with appointments.

When asked to compare the current cabinet to the previous Oresharski government, Borissov described the situation as worse, characterizing the present coalition as a minority with internally conflicting parties. He emphasized that political compromise is the highest responsibility at this stage, especially as Bulgaria prepares its budget and approaches eurozone adoption. Borissov noted that elections would be most profitable for both GERB and “DPS-New Beginning,” reflecting overlapping political incentives.

Borissov returned to his point about the five prime ministers, reiterating that if he were in charge, the Pleven water crisis would have already been solved. He singled out Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov for criticism, arguing that ministers, being subordinate to him, have not acted decisively.

Meanwhile, Delyan Peevski, leader of “DPS-New Beginning,” addressed reporters following the parliament’s failure to meet quorum. Peevski stated that he communicates directly with all cabinet ministers on matters he deems important, emphasizing that the country officially has only one prime minister, president, and parliamentary head. He supported Borissov’s criticism of the government’s response to Pleven’s water shortage, insisting that sufficient deputy prime ministers are available to manage the crisis. Peevski expressed hope that officials would travel to Pleven promptly, working in shifts alongside ministers until the problem is resolved.

Ending his comments abruptly, Peevski left without responding to further questions from journalists, underscoring his selective engagement with the media on governmental issues.