SOFIA, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Mariya Gabriel, the prime minister (PM) nominee from Bulgaria's largest political force in Parliament, the GERB-UDF coalition, withdrew her candidacy on Monday, increasing the likelihood of early parliamentary elections.
In a document submitted to the National Assembly, Gabriel announced her decision not to participate in the parliamentary procedure for the PM election or propose the composition of the Council of Ministers, according to her party's press service.
Gabriel warned of this move on Sunday, citing failed negotiations with the We Continue the Change -- Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB) coalition, the second-largest parliamentary group.
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev assigned Gabriel to form a new government last week, giving her seven days to outline the Council of Ministers. Despite Gabriel's prompt completion of the task, disagreements between PP-DB, with 63 seats in the 240-member Parliament, and GERB-UDF, with 69, emerged over ministerial appointments. The two sides failed to reach any agreement.
Following constitutional requirements, Radev transferred the matter to Parliament, where Gabriel's proposal required a simple majority.
The need for a new government arose after Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov from the We Continue the Change party resigned on March 5. His resignation adhered to a power-sharing agreement between PP-DB and GERB-UDF when his government was elected in June 2023.
According to the deal, Denkov was to serve as prime minister for nine months, and then the GERB-UDF's representative Gabriel, who was deputy prime minister and foreign minister in Denkov's cabinet, would take over for another nine months. Additionally, ministerial changes could only be made with mutual consent of the two coalitions.
In the elections in April 2023, GERB-UDF received 26.49 percent of the vote, followed by PP-DB with 24.56 percent, along with four other groups crossing the 4 percent threshold to enter Parliament.
As per the Constitution, Radev must now appoint a prime minister-designate nominated by PP-DB. Failure to form a government by PP-DB would lead the president to entrust the task to a prime minister-designate nominated by a minor parliamentary group. If no final agreement is reached, early parliamentary elections will be scheduled.
Gabriel announced Sunday that her party would not participate in further talks to form a government in this parliament. ■
