Rumen Radev

President Rumen Radev handed the second mandate to form a government to the second largest parliamentary group in the 48th National Assembly - that of "We Continue the Change".

"We are nominating Acad. Nikolay Denkov as a candidate for Prime Minister," said the chairman of the parliamentary group of "We Continue the Change" (WCC), Andrey Gyurov.

"Protecting the external borders of the European Union is a common commitment of all member states and is key to tackling illegal migration." This was the general position of President Rumen Radev and the Federal Chancellor of the Republic of Austria Karl Nehammer, who talked today in Vienna, reports the press service of the Bulgarian presidency.

In his traditional New Year's address, the head of state Rumen Radev summarized the past year 2022 as full of crises and challenges, which tested the country's economy and the ability of politicians to reach an agreement.

President Rumen Radev began consultations with the parties represented in the parliament before handing over the first mandate to form a cabinet. The representatives of the largest parliamentary force GERB-SDS were invited first to "Dondukov" 2.

The caretaker government has requested information from the services on the subject of the truck that blew up on the Crimean bridge, cabinet spokesman Anton Kutev explained to BTA.

"Inspections are carried out by both the National Security State Agency (SANS) and the Ministry of the Interior. We have to see what the results will be," Kutev pointed out.

The Bulgarian party "We Continue the Change" will support the proposal for Bulgaria to participate with military aid in Ukraine. This was stated by Nikola Minchev on BNT. A few days ago, "Democratic Bulgaria" announced that they would submit such a proposal after the convening of the 48th National Assembly.

Bulgaria is looking for an interim solution for fighters while the US F-16 project starts. Negotiations are underway with Sweden and several other countries, President Rumen Radev announced after the meeting of the European Political Community in Prague.

President Rumen Radev stated that Bulgaria needs a functioning parliament and a stable regular government. In his first comment on the results of Sunday's snap parliamentary vote, Radev said voters had given a clear signal to politicians that they should seek dialogue.

Acting Minister of Defense Dimitar Stoyanov confirmed the information that Ukraine is making a counteroffensive in the military clash with Russia. According to him, it is still too early to say whether the tide of the war has been turned.

Ukrainian general reported that his troops were advancing north towards the Russian border. Read more here.

The situation remains difficult in the villages of Bogdan and Karavelovo in Karlovo region. There are a total of seven villages in the area that have declared a partial state of emergency. President Rumen Radev also arrived in the village of Karavelovo before noon. He met people affected by the floods.