site.btaGERB-UDF Mandated to Form Cabinet, Unveil Proposed Lineup

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev Wednesday handed a cabinet-forming mandate to GERB-UDF as the largest parliamentary group in the 51st National Assembly. The mandate was received by Prime Minister-designate Rosen Zhelyazkov, who was ready with a proposed cabinet lineup right there, following weeks of negotiations with other parliamentary forces.

Here is the composition of the proposed Zhelyazkov Cabinet that will be laid before the legislature for approval:

Rosen Zhelyazkov (GERB-UDF)

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Innovation and Growth: Tomislav Donchev (GERB-UDF)

Deputy Prime Minister: Atanas Zafirov (BSP-United Left)

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Transport and Communications: Grozdan Karadzhov (TISP)

Minister of Finance: Temenuzhka Petkova (GERB-UDF)

Minister of Foreign Affairs: Georg Georgiev (GERB-UDF)

Minister of Interior: Daniel Mitov (GERB-UDF)

Minister of Regional Development and Public Works: Ivan Ivanov (BSP-United Left)

Minister of Labour and Social Policy: Borislav Gutsanov (BSP-United Left)

Minister of Justice: Georgi Georgiev (GERB-UDF)

Minister of Defence: Atanas Zapryanov (GERB-UDF)

Minister of Education and Science: Krasimir Valchev (GERB-UDF)

Minister of Health: Silvi Kirilov (TISP)

Minister of Culture: Marian Bachev (TISP)

Minister of Agriculture: Georgi Tahov (GERB)

Minister of Environment and Water: Manol Genov (BSP-United Left)

Minister of Economy and Industry: Petar Dilov (TISP)

Minister of Energy: Zhecho Stankov (GERB-UDF)

Minister of Electronic Governance: Valentin Mundrov (GERB-UDF)

Minister of Tourism: Miroslav Borshosh (GERB-UDF)

Minister of Youth and Sports: Ivan Peshev (BSP-United Left)

As he spoke to the press after presenting the governmet lineup, Prime Minister-designate Zhelyazkov said that its top priority will be requesting a convergence report as part of the procedure to eurozone accession, the 2025 budget, stabilizing the institutions and restoring inter-institutional dialogue. Zhelyazkov said the government will submit a 2025 budget bill "when the Finance Ministry is ready".

Asked to comment on the nomination of Daniel Mitov, a former foreign minister, for Interior Minister in his cabinet, Zhelyazkov said that the Interior Ministry has a political and professional leadership.

As he handed the Cabinet mandate to GERB-UDF, President Radev said that Bulgarians have waited too long for the political crisis to end. "Bulgarians waited too long for an end to the political crisis and a regular government. That is why I gave your party and your potential partners enough time to consider the possible options and find a working formula. It must be clear that it is not enough to have a Parliament-appointed government: first of all it must be competent and efficient, and, most of all, to obey the public interest. You take on a big responsibility as you accept this government mandate."

Having received the cabinet-forming mandate fulfilled from Zhelyazkov, Radev said that even on Wednesday he will issue a decree and will transmit it to the National Assembly, asking the legislature, as required by the Constitution, to take a vote on his nomination for prime minister. The National Assembly is "the venue for a meaningful debate on the structure and name list of the Council of Ministers," the head of State added.

As he accepted the mandate to form a cabinet, Prime Minister-designate Zhelyazkov said that in its consultations with the other parties in Parliament GERB-UDF sought to win broader support. Here is what he also said: "Our consultations were aimed at getting broader accord. We made great efforts, sometimes in the late hours of the day, to make compromises and reach the necessary agreement. The goal of the negotiations was to achieve a nationally responsible governance."

He offered a brief account of the negotiations with the other parties in Parliament. "The talks with BSP - United Left and There Is Such a People were based on goals, priorities and governance principles, despite the fact that the three formations have serious ideological and political differences. We made the necessary compromises because in politics the ability to compromise is more valuable than making a political deal."

He said that the big compromise for his party was agreeing not to have GERB leader Boyko Borissov as the PM-designate.

Zhelyazkov went on to explain why the GERB-UDF did not accept the idea for an equidistant prime minister. "The negotiating groups embraced a formula for a parliamentary majority, which at the moment allows for a government to take up the difficult tasks facing the country - problems with public finances, better absorption of resources from EU funds, etc," he added.

The Prime Minister-designate promised that, if elected, his government will present its governance and legislative programme within a month.

Zhelyazkov thanked Radev for allowing enough time for talks between the parliamentary groups. He also thanked Democratic Bulgaria for having participated in the talks, although they did not go further.

Zhelyazkov hopes that the proposed government will go through in plenary.  

To be voted through, a proposed cabinet needs a 121-vote majority in the 240-seat legislature. Combined, GERB-UDF, BSP-United Left and TISP have 107 MPs. If backed by DRF's 126 lawmakers, the coalition can count on 126 votes, 5 more than the required minimum.

If the proposed government is voted down in Parliament, the Constitution stipulates that the President has to mandate the second largest parliamentary group to propose a cabinet. If it also fails, the third exploratory mandate goes to a parliamentary group chosen by the head of State. Failure to form a regular government under the third mandate results in snap parliamentary elections.

Since the latest early parliamentary elections on October 27, 2024, the country has been run by a caretaker cabinet headed by Dimitar Glavchev.

GERB-UDF, which garnered most votes in the polls and was allocated the largest number of legislative seats, has been engaged in negotiations with three other parliamentary entities: Democratic Bulgaria (DB), BSP-United Left and There Is Such a People (TISP).

A week ago, the talks with DB were discontinued and went on with the two other parliamentary groups. The three combined, however, do not hold the 121-majority required to vote a cabinet into office. President Radev said then that he would give the parties' negotiators a few more days before handing the first exploratory mandate.

BSP-United Left decided to sign a governance agreement with GERB and TISP. For their part, Democracy, Rights and Freedom - DRF said in a press release that they had met with GERB-UDF, BSP-United Left and TISP to weigh the chances of putting together a parliamentary majority large enough to render up a cabinet.