site.btaTISP Floor Leader: Prospective Cabinet Can Run Either Full or Shorter Term, Depending on Support It Receives

There Is Such a People (TISP) Floor Leader Toshko Yordanov said here on Tuesday that a government formed under the third mandate can run either a shorter or a full term, depending on the backing it will receive. Yordanov was speaking at a meeting with independent MPs, formerly of the Velichie parliamentary group, which ceased to exist earlier in July amidst an intra-party row. The discussion was attended by Velichie’s former floor leader, Nikolay Markov, and MPs aligned with him, including Hristo Borisov, Darin Georgiev, Georgi Kukov, Etien Levi, and Viktoria Vassileva.

On Monday, President Rumen Radev handed TISP the third and last exploratory mandate for the formation of a regular government.

Responding to a question about TISP's vision for the horizon of a prospective government, Yordanov said that it would be most reasonable to have a full four-year government term, but a cabinet with a shorter lifespan that can "tackle important tasks" is also possible. 

Asked by the MPs of the now-defunct Velichie group to comment on the country’s financial situation, Yordanov said that it is in dire straits because the budgeted expenditures are high while revenues are low. He noted that the country should aim for a zero deficit. "We accept things as they are, and we are starting to solve them step by step," he added.

As their foreign policy priorities, TISP identified the protection of the rights of Bulgarians abroad, the non-deployment of Bulgarian servicepersons to Ukraine, and support for this country’s cultural institutions abroad.

Responding to a question,  MP Andrey Chorbanov of TISP said that healthcare funds need to be streamlined.  

Yordanov said that the priorities of the future government should be identified by all of those who will support it.

"We welcome your efforts for constructive dialogue. We see that you are favoring a statesmanlike approach to solving the crisis," Markov said. In his words, the presented priorities do not sound confrontational. 

As a general conclusion, Yordanov said that "we agree on most things as far as how the third mandate should be approached".  

"I urge all parties to be sensible, composed, and pragmatic because I am convinced that after this meeting, the majority in favor of the realization of the third mandate has grown to 22 people," TISP MP Stanislav Balabanov told the media after the meeting.

Emerging from the talks, independent MP Viktoria Vassileva said that what they prioritize is policies, not them personally taking part in the government.