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7 parties in the new parliament, 7 perspectives on the future government

| updated on 6/19/24 1:31 PM
Photo: БТА

''Disunity erodes statehood. Bulgarian voters want changes, and it is the task of politicians to deliver them in a planned, deliberate and justified manner", Silvi Kirilov from There is Such a People Party, who is the oldest MP in the 50th National Assembly, said after opening the inaugural sitting of the new parliament.

Silvi Kirilov

Before making political statements about the work of the newly elected parliament, the MPs took an oath to observe the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Bulgaria, and to be guided in all their actions by the interests of the Bulgarian people.

GERB – CDS call for a government of shared responsibility

''We declare that we are ready to participate only in a government of shared responsibility for a full term of office of 4 years. The other scenario is new snap elections. We won't participate in a government at any cost and will not allow the trust of our voters to be squandered", said Toma Bikov in a statement on behalf of the largest political force, GERB-SDS. In his words, new early elections are the lesser evil compared to forming an "unprincipled majority without broad political and societal support, with an unclear horizon, which will elect a politically irresponsible government."

Toma Bikov

"The analysis of the election results shows that there are not many opportunities for this Parliament. With their votes, Bulgarian voters told us that one party is not enough to form a regular government and that even two parties are not enough. This means that any potential government will need to garner support from three or more formations. This signal from Bulgarian citizens underscores the need for humility among the MPs, the ability to construct complex governance structures and jointly outline a positive national agenda. The last few parliaments failed in deciphering the election results. This is the reason why instead of development and change the Bulgarian citizens have received disappointment and timelessness. From this perspective, we must take the political reality into account and formulate a governance formula that corresponds to this reality and addresses the real challenges facing the society", MP Toma Bikov said on behalf of GERB-SDS. He called on all parliamentary groups in the 50th National Assembly to show wisdom and responsibility in the name of parliamentary unity and Bulgaria's common future. He also made it clear that the GERB-SDS coalition is ready to make the necessary compromises.

DPS: People do not want new snap elections

''An abyss has been dug between the politicians and the public agenda. The agenda of society is not the agenda of politicians. People do not want new early parliamentary elections", Movements for Rights and Freedoms Deputy Chairman Yordan Tsonev said.

Yordan Tsonev

‘’People want stability, the formation of a government and solutions to their problems. These include increasing incomes, creating jobs, boosting economic growth, ensuring national security, improving living conditions and enhancing the security of the country and every Bulgarian citizen. The solution to this crisis lies in electing a stable majority and forming a stable government with a four-year horizon. Bulgarians in their majority confirm the Euro-Atlantic choice of Bulgaria'', emphasized Yordan Tsonev and pointed out that for DPS the choice of Euro-Atlanticism is an existential choice for the citizens and for the homeland. ''We will continue to support Ukraine in its struggle against the aggressor’’, the MP said from the parliamentary rostrum.

PP-DB will be a pro-European opposition 


Nikolay Denkov

"Over the last 6 elections in 3 years, only We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB) managed to successfully form a regular government twice. No other political force has taken this responsibility in such hard times. We are paying a high political price for that. These two cabinets were brought down mostly thanks to the efforts of GERB, DPS and There Is Such a People’’, former Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov said on behalf of PP-DB. He was adamant that PP-DB would be a constructive pro-European opposition and would watch for any suspicion of corruption. We will fight for laws supporting business, ensuring competitiveness, quality education and reforms guaranteeing the independence of the judiciary", Nikolay Denkov went on to say.

Vazrazhdane: The country is literally dying before our eyes

''70% of Bulgarian people chose to stay at home on election day which was a vote of no-confidence in their own state. The people gave a resounding slap to the political elite'',  Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov said.

Kostadin Kostadinov

''The overwhelming majority of Bulgarians said that they are not interested in who governs the state, who represents them, who is responsible for the present and the future of the nation and the country. And if in the first hours and days this angered us, the minority of voters, soon despair took over, because for those who did not vote, it doesn't matter who is here in this chamber. On the other hand, we must not forget that for the majority in Parliament, it does not matter much who are the people who gave this no-confidence vote’’, said Kostadin Kostadinov. In his words, ''the country is s literally dying before our eyes and in our hands’’. He promised that the MPs from Vazrazhdane will defend the interests of Bulgaria and its citizens.

BSP: Going to new elections will not change anything

"The amount of time this parliament will have depends on our choice – whether we continue to throw stones or start collecting them in order to build something", said the acting leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party Atanas Zafirov. He pledged that the coalition "BSP for Bulgaria" will not be the one to throw stones and draw new dividing lines.

Atanas Zafirov

''Politics is isolating itself from the people. We have made it a territory reserved for a select few. It has become a project. We have placed millions of Bulgarians who do not vote outside the social contract. This trend will not change if we go to elections in a few months, Atanas Zafirov said, adding that a new cycle of elections will only deepen the crisis and delay the resolution of the problems. At the same time, BSP will not be the party to participate in another governance project through partisan segmenting of the executive power.

There is Such a People: It is time to bring common sense back to politics and governance

‘’We have just taken an oath to abide by the laws and to be guided by the interests of the people. Most of you took the same oath in the 49th National Assembly and repeatedly violated it, amending the constitution as you pleased and being guided by your own partisan interests.That is why we are in this situation with extremely low voter turnout", said Toshko Yordanov from There Is Such a People (ITN).

Toshko Yordanov

''Throughout the election campaign, There is Such a People said it was time to bring back common sense. After the elections, it has become clear that this will be an increasingly difficult task. Many of you, party leaders, have made reckless statements, including today. No one can be the sole savior, unifier and decide the agenda of society. No one has the political weight nor the right to give ultimatums to anyone for anything. Each party in the 50th parliament has the same weight as all the others. Common sense dictates that when governance is lacking, the country stalls’’, said Toshko Yordanov and called for an expert government, which is not dominated by any particular party.

MP Viktoria Vassileva from Velichie: Whether Bulgarian citizens see us as villains or heroes depends solely on our actions

Viktoria Vassileva

"Whether Bulgarian citizens see us as villains or heroes depends solely on our actions", Viktoria Vassileva from Velichie party said in a declaration from the parliamentary rostrum. She also quoted a poem by the famous Bulgarian poet Damyan Damyanov, from which she took the comparison of ''villains'' and ''heroes''. ''We always start the term of office of the National Assembly with programme speeches in which we make promises that we never keep'', MP Vassileva said.

Compiled by Ivo Ivanov
Published and translated by Kostadin Atanasov


Photos: BTA; BGNES


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