The Bulgarian press on Friday provides front-page coverage of the course of talks for the conclusion of a coalition agreement between election winner Gerb party and the United Patriots (UP).

Both Dnevnik and Sega accentuate the assertion of Gerb’s negotiation team that the first blueprint of the agreement will be adopted today and that a final copy of the document is expected next week. According to Gerb MP Delian Dobrev there are no differences between the future coalition partners on issues they have been discussing.

According to unofficial sources quoted by Dnevnik, no changes should be expected in the structure of the Council of Ministers. Sega contends that the discussed document will contain a mechanism preventing the participants in the coalition from quitting it on their own will – something that happened at the end of 2016 when Boyko Borissov stepped down as prime minister.

Both Sega and Dnevnik point out that the distribution of posts of cabinet ministers in the future government will be discussed once the coalition agreement has been signed. 24 Hours however has learned from unnamed participants in the talks that the Borissov 3 cabinet will appoint two or four deputy prime ministers, two of whom will be from Gerb. Tomislav Donchev who was deputy PM in the Borissov 2 cabinet was Gerb’s firm nomination. As to the second deputy PM, one possible option was Lilyana Pavlova from Gerb. Potential deputy PMs from UP included the co-chairmen of UP Krasimir Karakachanov and Valeri Simeonov. The ministries of energy, of culture and of labor and social policy will most probably be led by cabinet ministers singled out by UP. The Patriots demanded the inclusion of a special ministry for Bulgarians abroad but it was almost certain that this portfolio would remain at the level of a state agency.

The coalition agreement was supposed to include a point that Gerb would not be able to suspend the mandate of the government without the consent of the United Patriots, the sources of 24 Hours have said.

Compiled by Stoimen Pavlov

English Daniela Konstantinova