President Iotova holds consultations for forming a regular government

With a call for stability, responsibility, and a clear governance plan, President Iliana Iotova has opened consultations with the parliamentary represented parties, with the first meeting held with “Progressive Bulgaria.” In her statement, she emphasized that after the elections, expectations toward the winners are entirely tied to the responsibility they have assumed.

Representing “Progressive Bulgaria” at the consultations were the parliamentary group chair Petar Vitanov, Anton Kutev, Galab Donev, and Vlado Nikolov.

Vitanov promised an end to the political crisis, while Donev expressed concerns about the budget deficit. Former caretaker Prime Minister Galab Donev stressed that the deficit is mainly due to spending on personnel, pensions, and social security payments, which will lead to a number of negative consequences, and he pledged restructuring of the expenditure side of the budget.

After the consultations, Anton Kutev told the media that by Friday, May 8, the country would have a regular government.

“After 5 years of budgetary voluntarism, the time has come for tough decisions,” GERB Deputy Chair Tomislav Donchev told the president. “Although the role of the opposition is to criticize, I declare to you that we would support some of the more difficult decisions, especially if they have a reform-oriented profile,” Donchev said. He also declared support for the draft laws under the Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Donchev considers it entirely possible for anti-corruption legislation to be adopted by August 31 and called for the gas contract with the Turkish state company “Botas” to be reviewed.

A commitment to act as a constructive opposition was expressed by representatives of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) during their meeting with the president.

“DPS will insist on maintaining a normal dialogue between political parties and institutions. We will work for the rights and dignity of every Bulgarian citizen,” said Aiten Sabri, deputy chair of the parliamentary group of the “Movement for Rights and Freedoms - DPS,” as quoted by BTA. Sabri also noted that “a more difficult period lies ahead for Bulgaria.”

“We hope that the majority and the opposition will find the common ground that Bulgarian citizens expect,” President Iliana Iotova said during her meeting with “Democratic Bulgaria.”

Bozhidar Bozhanov, co-chair of “Yes, Bulgaria,” quoted by BGNES, pointed out that according to Democratic Bulgaria, the separation of the parliamentary group of “We Continue the Change” (PP) and DB is ineffective, but the priorities announced before the elections will be upheld. “We will be a constructive opposition; we will not remain silent when and if the government deviates from the mandate given by citizens to dismantle the ‘Borissov-Peevski’ model,” Bozhanov said.

Regarding the policies of the future government, he stated that, according to Democratic Bulgaria, taxes should not be increased, mechanisms for automatic salary increases in the administration should be reviewed, the budget deficit should be kept at up to 3%, civil servants should pay their own social security contributions, and administrative reform should be carried out.

Democratic Bulgaria will propose right-leaning measures for shaping the budget to ensure its stability.

Bulgarian citizens sent a clear signal after the protests in December last year about what they expect from those in power: the model of governance imposed by Borissov and Peevski must come to an end. That includes removing their security detail — if they require protection, citizens should be told clearly why, PP leader Asen Vassilev said in remarks to President Iliana Iotova.

He also called on the current Supreme Judicial Council not to launch procedures to appoint regional court heads, arguing it lacks the public backing to do so, BNR Horizont reported.

A former finance minister, Vassilev also addressed the country’s economic outlook, dismissing claims of a severe fiscal situation. He said spending in the next budget could be streamlined, and stressed the need to review pay in the state administration and reduce the number of ministries.

Representatives of Vazrazhdane expressed outrage at Progressive Bulgaria’s proposal for a new debt ceiling, warning that Bulgaria risks entering a debt spiral similar to that experienced by Greece. They called on the president to initiate a referendum on restoring the Bulgarian lev, BTA reported.

Editors: Ivo Ivanov, Miglena Ivanova