Bulgaria: Nazaryan Confirms She Will Not Serve as Caretaker Prime Minister, Yotova Seeks Neutral Leadership

Following consultations with President Iliana Yotova, Speaker of the 51st National Assembly Raya Nazaryan confirmed that she will not take the role of caretaker Prime Minister. Both Nazaryan and Yotova agreed that the candidate for acting Prime Minister must be a politically neutral figure with a strong sense of impartiality to ensure the fairness of early elections, particularly in overseeing the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Nazaryan emphasized that appointing a political figure could raise suspicions of interference in the electoral process, a concern that also applies to the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The meeting addressed the broader considerations for forming the caretaker cabinet, including the selection of officials from the so-called “home book,” which lists ten potential candidates. This group includes the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Governor and deputy governors of the Bulgarian National Bank, the Chairman of the Court of Accounts and his deputies, as well as the Ombudswoman and her deputy. Some individuals on this list have already declined the post. Once the president appoints a caretaker Prime Minister, that individual has one week to propose a cabinet, after which a date for early parliamentary elections must be set, to occur within two months.

Nazaryan also clarified that March 29 will not be the election date, though a final timeline has yet to be announced. After talks with potential caretaker leaders, President Yotova will also consult with parliamentary parties before finalizing the caretaker government. Political analysts suggest that forming a stable government in the 52nd National Assembly will be challenging, likely requiring coalition negotiations. Sociologist Andrey Raichev noted that while voter intentions indicate roughly 40% support for Radev, with around 20% each for Borissov and WCC-DB, over one million voters remain undecided, highlighting the uncertainty surrounding the next parliament.

This caretaker process comes as Bulgaria prepares for another round of early elections.