site.btaPresident Radev Holds Consultations with Parliamentary Groups

December 6 (BTA)- President Rumen Radev Monday opened
consultations with the parliamentary represented formations as
part of the constitutional procedure for forming a government.
He talked in succession with representatives of the
parliamentary groups of Continue the Change, GERB-UDF, the
Movement for Rights and Freedoms(MRF), and BSP for Bulgaria.

Continue the Change

Meeting with Continue the Change, the biggest group in the 47th
National Assembly, President Radev said that an effective
coalition government can exist only if there is mutual respect
between the partners. He also said that the time of the prime
minister ruling single-handedly has ended and the hope of such a
 rule being restored was firmly rejected by the citizens at the
elections.
   
The presidential institution is open to dialogue and cooperation
 with a future government within its competencies and powers,
Radev noted.

He told the Continue the Change representatives that citizens
need to know their priorities and readiness for the formation of
 an effective ruling coalition. Also in need of presentation are
 their views on EU enlargement, the upholding of Bulgarian
citizens' rights and of the Bulgarian national identity, history
 and culture, because the society expects consistent positions
and professional action from Bulgarian diplomacy.

Continue the Change co-leader Kiril Petkov expressed the hope
that as soon as possible his party will present a draft cabinet
lineup based on a coalition of four formations. The coalition
document was finalized at midnight on Sunday and has been sent
to the future coalition partners. It is based on the topics
covered in the government-formation discussions that Continue
the Change held with BSP for Bulgaria, There Is Such a People
(TISP), and Democratic Bulgaria, Petkov explained. "To respect
the voters of each of the participating formations, we chose the
 proportionality principle," he said, referring to how many
representatives each formation will have in the coalition
government.

In Petkov's words, regardless of whether a party is left, centre
 or right, Bulgaria needs motorways, safe dams, good incomes,
and to get back the Bulgarians from abroad. He expects the
coalition partners to send their comments on the coalition
document by Tuesday so that Continue the Change can come to the
head of State as soon as possible to receive a cabinet-forming
mandate with a ready structure of a coalition government.

Emerging from the consultations with President Radev, Petkov
said the future government is expected to have four deputy prime
 ministers, not necessarily one per coalition partner, and two
new ministries: of innovations and growth and of State-owned
enterprises. These two functions are currently under the Economy
 Ministry.
 
GERB-UDF

The head of State said that GERB-UDF have rich experience in the
 Bulgarian political life that he believes certain political
wisdom should correspond to. "I believe you understand that
after the elections a certain change has occurred and we all
should take that change into consideration," Radev told the
former ruling formation.

He also said that he will be as critical of every future
government as he was of GERB-UDF's.

The floor leader of the second largest group in Parliament,
Dessislava Atanassova, told President Radev that should the
four-party government need help and advice from GERB-UDF in view
 of their political wisdom and experience, it will receive
these. In her words, GERB-UDF will shed light on and point out
every mistake made by the cabinet not only because being an
opposition requires it but also because good governance needs
strong and knowledgeable opposition.

Emerging from the meeting, Atanassova told journalists that
GERB-UDF will not support a left-liberal government of Continue
the Change, BSP for Bulgaria, TISP and Democratic Bulgaria. Her
parliamentary group will be a strong opposition and as such will
 continue to defend Bulgarian citizens' rights and the
democratic values and to monitor the observation of the
country's Constitution and laws.

Tomislav Donchev of GERB-UDF commented that since the new
government has been announced as a "facelift" of the caretaker
cabinet, his group will hold the President accountable for the
new cabinet's actions along with all the parties participating
in and supporting the government.
 
Movement for Rights and Freedoms

The head of State told the MRF representatives that the opinion
of every parliamentary group on the 47th National Assembly's
activity, on the expectations from the work of the future
government and on its formation, matters.

MRF floor leader Mustafa Karadayi said that Bulgaria needs a
regular cabinet in view of the multitude of crises the country
is facing: the COVID, the health, the social, the economic, and
the financial crises, inflation. This requires a responsible
governance with vision, responsible political subjects with
quick, urgent actions in view of overcoming the crises and with
eyes on the future. There are also topics the work on which
should be sped up as part of the EU family, because Bulgaria is
lagging behind with its National Recovery and Resilience Plan
and operational programmes, the MRF argue.

In Karadayi's words, the three parliamentary elections held this
 year are the result of the political crisis in Bulgaria, which
could be overcome through dialogue between the political parties
 and between the institutions.
   
Asked whether the MRF would vote in favour of the new
government, Karadayi told journalists after the meeting that
option "does not go against the laws of physics". In his words,
the MRF are yet to see what the government will offer as a
programme, and the persons in the cabinet are no less important.
 

BSP for Bulgaria

President Radev told the Socialists that Bulgaria's society is
deeply socially devided, and expressed the hope that the BSP
will have a significant contribution to the solution of social
problems within the work of the new government.

BSP for Bulgaria floor leader Kornelia Ninova said that her
formation continues the political talks with its future
coalition partners, presenting its expert opinion and will for
changes. The Socialists believe urgent measures should be
undertaken immediately in view of the economic, social and
health crises in this country, and that deep reforms are
necessary in various spheres, particularly justice, pensions,
education, and the fight against poverty.

BSP for Bulgaria put an emphasis on the adoption of the 2022
state budget, work on which should begin right away, and on
helping people in the difficult winter months, guaranteeing
compensation measures for the rising prices, doing whatever is
possible to prevent an increase of electricity prices for
households as of January 1, 2022, and stabilizing the health
system, Ninova also said.

Approached by journalists after the meeting, the Socialist
leader said her parliamentary group have several remarks on the
coalition agreement they received late on Sunday. These were
discussed at a meeting with the Continue the Change co-leaders,
Kiril Petkov and Assen Vassilev, on Monday. The agreement will
be signed between Continue the Change and each of the other
formations in the coalition, Ninova specified.

The agreement proposes a structure of the future government,
ministries and their areas of works. It mentions the creation of
 a ministry of economy and industry, and not of a ministry of
State-owned enterprises, Ninova said. All matters related to the
 future ministers will be reviewed by the coalition partners,
she said when asked whether she will become deputy prime
minister. First comes the coalition agreement, on which a
decision should be taken by Monday evening, then the structure
of the Council of Ministers will be reviewed on Tuesday, she
specified.

The next round of consultations between the head of State and
the parliamentary groups will be held Tuesday, when Radev will
talk with TISP, Democratic Bulgaria, and Vazrazhdane.

MT/DS