After nervous negotiations between GERB-SDS and PP-DB until the last second, Mariya Gabriel, proposed for the post of Prime Minister by GERB-SDS, returned to President Rumen Radev the first exploratory mandate for forming a cabinet fulfilled - with proposed names of ministers. She received the mandate yesterday, refusing to wait for the constitutionally mandated 7-day deadline to return the folder to the president. 

As agreed 9 months ago, former Foreign Minister Gabriel and Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov will rotate. GERB candidate Mariya Gabriel will become head of the Cabinet, while Nikolai Denkov will take over as Minister for European Affairs. Finance Minister Assen Vassilev will retain his post, while Defence Minister Todor Tagarev will be replaced by GERB candidate Hristo Gadjev. Energy Minister Rumen Radev will be replaced by GERB's Zhecho Stankov, according to Mariya Gabriel's proposal for the Council of Ministers.

Gabriel emphasized that this is the only composition of the cabinet that GERB will support. 

Among the controversial topics in the negotiations between GERB-SDS and PP-DB turned out to be the ministerial posts for defense and e-government - Todor Tagarev and Alexander Yolovski. PP-DB insisted on them remaining on their posts, while GERB insisted on their replacement. The two do not appear in Gabriel's proposed cabinet.