- Bulgarian parliamentarians have unanimously approved the resignation of Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov and his government.
- The move is part of a power-sharing agreement between the center-right GERB party and the reformist coalition led by “We Continue the Change” after last year’s elections.
- According to the agreement, each party will hold the top position for nine months at a time.
Bulgarian lawmakers on Wednesday unanimously approved the resignation of Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov and his government as part of a power-sharing deal between the two major parties following last year’s elections.
The center-right GERB party, which won last April’s general election, and the runner-up, the reformist coalition led by Continuing Change, will each remain in the top spot for nine months at a time. We agreed on that.
Denkov is expected to be replaced by GERB’s Maria Gabriel, a former European commissioner who served as deputy government secretary and foreign minister.
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Gabriel will be replaced as deputy prime minister by Denkov, a chemistry professor and former education minister.
Prime Minister-elect Nikolai Denkov speaks to reporters after receiving the mandate to form a new government at a ceremony in Sofia on January 3, 2023. Bulgarian lawmakers on Wednesday unanimously approved the resignation of Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov and his government as part of a power-sharing deal between the two major parties following last year’s elections. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova, File)
The two parties agreed to share power after last year’s election, ending a two-and-a-half year political crisis and aiming to restore stability and boost economic development in the European Union’s poorest member state.
Denkov addressed MPs ahead of the vote, assuring them that the outgoing government would continue to function until a new one is formed, and calling for negotiations to begin immediately.
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“Despite an environment of misinformation, sabotage, attacks and provocations, we are ready to move forward in implementing the priorities set out in our management program,” Denkov said.
Denkov also confirmed his country’s continued support for Ukraine’s fight against Moscow’s aggression, saying it “reflects national interests.” He also listed the measures taken to increase Bulgaria’s defense capabilities.
Following last year’s general election, the GERB won 69 seats out of a total of 240 seats, and the reformist bloc won 63 seats.
