Bulgarian Political Parties Engage in Talks to Form Coalition Government
Bulgarian parties GERB–SDF, "Demократична България" (DB), Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) – United Left, and ITN have met to discuss proposals for a governing agreement. Following the meeting held earlier this week at the National Assembly, GERB and DB issued identical statements.
Key points discussed included:
- Defining Priorities: Parties debated the priorities for the upcoming government, focusing on key sectors such as public finances, energy, justice, and corruption.
- Decision-Making Mechanisms: They explored potential mechanisms for decision-making among the governing coalition.
- Reform Agenda: Participants emphasized the need to address corruption and judicial reform, with discussions centered around ensuring a clear vision for the government’s character and policies.
GERB and DB continue to release joint statements following each meeting, without providing specific details of their agreements.
In a previous meeting on December 30, both parties shared that they had presented their projects for a coalition agreement, including proposals for:
- Overcoming crises in public finances and energy
- Modernizing infrastructure in the ‘Water Supply’ sector
- Establishing a decision-making mechanism for the governing coalition
- Procedures for electing regulatory bodies
Earlier this month, GERB and DB announced that they were working on a project agreement for joint governance. Despite initial skepticism, recent discussions appear to be proceeding smoothly, based on official and unofficial statements.
Meanwhile, "Продължаваме промяната," DB’s coalition partner, initially refused to negotiate with GERB due to non-compliance with their demands to sign a "sanitary cordon" declaration regarding Delian Peevski and his party, "ДПС- Ново начало." However, DB suggested incorporating these topics into a potential coalition agreement with GERB.
President Rumen Radev has stated that he will confer the first mandate for forming a government in early 2025 due to ongoing negotiations and the New Year holidays.
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