site.btaGovernment Survives No-Confidence Vote

The Cabinet of Rosen Zhelyazkov Thursday survived a no-confidence vote over its foreign policy. The motion was submitted by Vazrazhdane with support by the MPs of Velichie and MECh.

The vote was 54-150, with no abstentions. This was the first no-confidence motion against this government. To go through, it needed the support of more than half of the MPs in the 240-seat legislature.

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov thanked the MPs who supported his Government. "In doing so, you have reaffirmed Bulgaria’s European perspective and commitment to democratic development, in line with the aspirations of the majority of society," Zhelyazkov said, addressing the legislature after the majority of MPs rejected the motion on Thursday.

The result of the vote was expected, Vazrazhdane party leader Kostadin Kostadinov told journalists. "What we can say is that this government, in this form and with this policy, is harmful to Bulgaria," he said. He said that the Cabinet "is entirely in the service of foreign interests" and does nothing for the Bulgarian people and the national interests. "What worries us most is that the government's policy is a threat to the national security of Bulgaria," he concluded.

Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) - New Beginning Floor Leader Delyan Peevski described the no-confidence motion as a “waste of time”. "We have to work for the people. What are these votes?! The budget has yet to be implemented," Peevski said in a comment for the press. "They are going to table votes again. And those will not go through either," he said.

There Is Such a People (TISP) Deputy Floor Leader Stanislav Balabanov commented for the press that the government will "continue moving forward in full momentum". "The clear majority of 121 members will continue advancing the legislative agenda, which will shape the cabinet's four-year mandate," he added. He noted that the next steps, regardless of the forthcoming convergence reports, will be crucial for ensuring stability in the country and ensuring that institutions work in the interest of the people.

Velichie Floor Leader Ivelin Mihaylov said the way the parties voted was "expected". "Vazrazhdane took a somewhat divisive approach," he said. According to him, other parties would have backed the motion had the reasoning behind it been different. "The topic and the reasoning of the motion have to be chosen in a different manner, we already said it sets a dividing line and will not achieve the desired effect," Mihaylov said.

Speaking to journalists in Lovech, northcentral Bulgaria, on Thursday, Bulgarian Vice President Iliana Iotova said that the result of Thursday's no-confidence vote against the Rosen Zhelyazkov Cabinet shows it has increased its MP support by at least 25 votes since its election on January 16, 2025.