site.btaEmerging from Government Talks, TISP, Socialists Say They See Eye to Eye on Many Issues

Emerging from talks on cabinet formation on the third exploratory mandate on Thursday, There Is Such a People (TISP) and BSP for Bulgaria told the media in Parliament that they see eye to eye on many issues. The two political entities met at the invitation of TISP, which was mandated to form a government by President Rumen Radev on Monday.

TISP Deputy Floor Leader Stanislav Balabanov said that they already have the support of 66 MPs. He said that "the rest of the political leaders should approach what lies ahead more responsibly". "TISP has so far managed to achieve more than 55% of its target. Crucial talks are still to be held in the coming days," Balabanov added.

TISP has already held talks with two groups of MPs from the dissolved parliamentary group of Velichie and with MPs of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) who have either been expelled or have left the parliamentary group as they oppose MRF co-leader Delyan Peevski and are loyal to MRF Honorary Chairman Ahmed Dogan.

During Thursday's discussions, TISP Floor Leader Toshko Yordanov said that "generally speaking, we have common goals when it comes to forming a cabinet". "It now seems that the burden rests on the shoulders of Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) and GERB".

"We see eye to eye on a good part of the issues, including the demographic catastrophe, energy, and healthcare," BSP for Bulgaria Floor Leader Borislav Gutsanov said. "The most important thing is that the common understanding of [the need for] a regular cabinet is the guiding principle, because it is not normal to have held six snap parliamentary elections in three years," he added. Gutsanov said that if a second round of talks is held and it becomes apparent that there is enough support for the formation of a regular cabinet, the Bulgarian Socialist Party’s (BSP) National Council will convene and have its final say on whether they will support a prospective cabinet. "But the commonalities are evident. The two political parties are having a normal dialogue. The key word is dialogue," Gutsanov noted.

The BSP for Bulgaria Floor Leader said that the issue of Ukraine, which divides the two political entities, was not raised at Thursday's meeting. "It was avoided by TISP because BSP has a categorical stance on it," Gutsanov added. "If we get to a second round of talks, the issue will have to be clearly addressed," he said.

At the meeting, the sides also discussed the need for the government to nominate a new Bulgarian EU commissioner.

MEP Tsvetelina Penkova of BSP recalled that the nominations for an EU commissioner have to be submitted by August 30, noting that this necessitates a politically sound decision concerning the portfolio that Bulgaria will compete for and the people that will represent the country.

TISP and the Socialists also found common ground on the topic of the Republic of North Macedonia.

TISP MP Pavela Mitova said that the two political entities agree that the European Green Deal should be renegotiated.

MP Alexander Alexandrov of TISP spoke about the need for adequate funding for the defence sector.

Gutsanov said they largely agree with what TISP had said about each sector, despite some minor differences. He noted that "this has been a good start to a dialogue in Parliament that failed to take place in the recent parliaments". Gutsanov added that TISP and the Socialists have common views on regional policy, infrastructure, and healthcare.

Maya Dimitrova of BSP highlighted the need for a new Judicial System Act.

"While the first two attempts at forming a cabinet were selfish, you are really willing to form a government of shared responsibility," Dragomir Stoynev of BSP for Bulgaria addressed the TISP representatives, adding that "the situation is becoming intolerable". "In order to achieve goals, we need a political, non-partisan consensus," he noted. "I hope the two largest political forces will see this as a second chance to get back to the negotiating table," the MP said, referring to GERB-UDF and CC-DB.

TISP were mandated to explore options to put together a government after the largest parliamentary group, GERB-UDF, picked Rosen Zhelyazkov as their prime minister-designate but his nomination was defeated in a parliamentary vote. On July 22, CC-DB, which found themselves to be the second largest group after a rift in the MRF diminished its size, declined the cabinet-forming mandate right away.

Under the Constitution, if a parliament-elected cabinet is not formed under the third mandate, the President has to set a date for early parliamentary elections within two months and appoint a caretaker cabinet.