GERB-SDS’s Premier-designate Mariya Gabriel announced at a briefing on Sunday that she is withdrawing her candidacy for Prime Minister. On Monday, March 25, she is to submit a declaration to Parliament. According to Mariya Gabriel, GERB will not participate in negotiations for a cabinet with either the second or the third government-forming mandate, and early elections will be held. She motivated the party's decision by stating that GERB made many concessions during the negotiation process with the partners from the assemblage (PP-DB), but in return received new demands. That is why her party has taken the decision to end the negotiation process for rotational government.

GERB-SDS’s refusal from the government-forming mandate must be supported by the National Assembly. Then, according to the procedure, Bulgaria’s President has to hand over the mandate to the second largest parliamentary force – We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria, which will have seven days to fulfill it. If it fails do to so, the constitution gives the head of state a free hand in choosing to which parliamentary group to hand the third mandate. If the third cabinet-forming mandate is unsuccessful, the President issues a decree calling early parliamentary elections.