48th National Assembly of Bulgaria

Boyko Borissov, leader of GERB, has outlined his strategy for forming a coalition government following the upcoming elections. He has indicated that he will seek alliances with the parties from the previous "assembly" partnership, which included GERB and "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria," as well as with the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and "There Is Such a People" (TISP).

The new government of Bulgaria is merely a continuation of the previous one, according to Tsoncho Ganev, the deputy chairman of the "Revival" party, who expressed a lack of trust in the newly formed administration during an interview with BNR. One major concern highlighted by Ganev is the appointment of the new Minister of Internal Affairs.

Only 27% of the members in the 50th Bulgarian Parliament are women, but this marks an increase in their numbers. The "Greatness" party has the highest share of women at 46%, while "There Is Such a People" (TISP) has the smallest at 18%. On June 9, 2024, the regular European Parliament elections and the sixth early parliamentary elections in three years were held.

Boyko Borissov, the leader of GERB, announced that forming a government is currently not feasible. Raya Nazaryan is being proposed for the Speaker of the Parliament, and today's vote on her candidacy will determine the continuation of negotiations with other parties. Borissov emphasized that the vote will reveal whether a government can be formed in this parliament.

Negotiations between GERB and DPS to form a government began after a delay caused by disputes over seating arrangements in the plenary hall. Contrary to expectations, Delyan Peevski, co-chairman of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), did not participate, in line with Boyko Borissov's decision not to lead the talks personally.

GERB has issued invitations for meetings with the parties entering the 50th National Assembly to discuss societal issues and the potential support for a new government that will share responsibility for managing Bulgaria. GERB representatives Denitsa Sacheva, Raya Nazaryan, and Temenuzka Petkova will lead the negotiations.

The first session of Bulgaria's newly elected 50th National Assembly will convene at 9:00 a.m. on June 19, 2024, as announced by President Rumen Radev through a decree based on Article 75 of the Constitution. According to the president's press office, this session marks a significant political event following the recent parliamentary elections.

Atanas Zafirov has been elected as the temporary chairman of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP). The decision was made by the National Council of the BSP, with 104 votes in favor and 3 abstentions. This election follows the resignation of the previous party chairwoman, Kornelia Ninova, who stepped down due to poor election results.

The Bulgarian Central Electoral Commission (CEC) adopted a decision distributing the mandates from the European Parliament vote among the participating parties. GERB will be represented by five MEPs, while the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB), and "Revival" each send three deputies to the European Parliament.

The preliminary results of the vote for the 50th National Assembly in Bulgaria indicate a significant lead for the GERB party in many regions across the country. According to data provided by the Central Election Commission (CEC), GERB is dominating in various areas, including Blagoevgrad, Burgas, and Varna, where it holds a convincing lead.