2024-03-11 19:29:59
If the first mandate is not implemented, we will probably go to elections, warned Denkov
After a total of over 15 hours of negotiations, which continued on Saturday and Sunday, GERB and PP-DB have still not agreed on the legislative and management program for the next nine months, nor on the composition of the new Council of Ministers.
“There is still work on the negotiations. As you know, in addition to the agreement we worked on yesterday and the other day, we also need to specify the legislative program. Work has not started, we have a first version of the list, but we need to work on it together. It is separate the management program that needs to be updated and, of course, the composition of the Council of Ministers, so until all the work is completed, we do not have a final document to agree on,” said Academician Nikolay Denkov after the consultation on forming a government under President Rumen Radev.
Regarding the negotiations, the resigned Prime Minister commented that they were constructive and should continue at the same pace in order to end them as quickly as possible and move on to solutions.
“We have assured the president that we want the rotation to take place and that if there is no agreement, we are ready to go to elections. This is not a good option, but it may be the only option if we cannot agree that reforms, changes, justice system, the fight against corruption must continue,” the academic told the closed part.
Earlier today, the negotiation team of GERB – Maria Gabriel, Denitsa Sacheva, Temenuzka Petkova and Raya Nazaryan – appeared for a consultation with Radev. GERB leader Boyko Borisov did not come with them. “For me, it is not important what the exact format of the negotiating teams is. What is important is that the negotiations continue constructively, effectively, as it was yesterday and the other day,” the prime minister pointed out in resignation.
When asked if he was optimistic about the development of the negotiations, he answered: “As always, I am a moderate optimist when there are clear tasks, a clear logic. Things are going well for the moment.”
During the open part of the meeting, Radev asked the PP-DB representatives if they would look for another form of governance if they did not agree with the GERB partners and the first mandate was unsuccessful. “No. What we expect is to find agreement and, as I have said many times, that agreement should lead to the realization of the first term. If we do not find agreement for the first term, it probably means that we are going to an election.” Denkov told the media.
The closed part of the meeting between the PP-DB and the president lasted more than an hour. The leaders Kiril Petkov, Hristo Ivanov, Atanas Atanasov and Daniela Bozhinova, as well as Denkov, appeared before him. From GERD, they stayed for a shorter time – about 40 minutes.