Bulgaria: Mariya Gabriel returned an Empty Folder with the First Mandate to President Radev

The GERB-SDS candidate for prime minister, Mariya Gabriel, returned the folder, with the first exploratory mandate for the formation of a cabinet, to President Rumen Radev's cabinet, empty.

An hour before GERB-SDS returned the completed mandate of the president to the National Assembly, the candidates for prime minister of GERB-SDS Mariya Gabriel and of "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" Nikolay Denkov gave a briefing, at which it became clear that the first mandate will not be fulfilled as the two political forces have reached an agreement on a cabinet.

"The folder that I am returning today is empty. In it, on behalf of the parliamentary group of GERB, I will not allow to enter the names of people who are not the result of open, clear conversations based on principles and responsibilities, but are the result of behind-the-scenes agreements. I would not allow that," Gabriel said to the head of state.

"We see a very strong request for a constitutional majority for reforms that will allow Bulgaria to have a sense of justice," she added.

"In the last 48 hours, it became clear based on many conversations that based on a strong majority and based on the talks between the first two coalitions and very intense negotiations, with reason, not emotion, and mutual concessions for the sake of one goal - Bulgaria to have a government with clear principles, goals and responsibilities, - I want to share that, together with the parliamentary group of the WCC-DB, we will seek an agreement", pointed out Gabriel and added:

"At this stage, together with Acad. Denkov, the leaders of the two formations, we have a clear vision that the second term should be a national agreement and seek the support of this...