"We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) asked us a little while ago. In the next 24 hours, we will finalize the agreement, said the candidate for Prime Minister Maria Gabriel, BGNES reported.
On leaving the presidential institution, where Rumen Radev handed Gabriel the exploratory mandate to form a government, Academician Nikolay Denkov and WCC-DB co-chairman Kiril Petkov were present.
"And I told the president that I accept with a sense of responsibility my nomination by GERB-UDF to be prime minister. Because we say that Bulgaria needs stability, but it must be based on clear priorities, publicity, transparency, equality in governance, common priorities and a common desire to move the country forward through reforms. This is exactly why we came together, because we were asked by the PP-DB colleagues for more time. We need as little time as possible - I hope we will be able to show it in the next 24 hours, to finalize the negotiations. Once again: the Agreement and the Council of Minister go as a package. It is important for us that everything is agreed and that we come out very clearly with a position that says we are together based on principles," said Maria Gabriel.
We have no differences regarding the future of the country - the judicial system, the filling of the regulators, added Gabriel. What is important is that the priorities for Council of Ministers and the rest go hand in hand. I am asking you to give us the opportunity to discuss this matter in the shortest possible time - 7 days is a time limit that I do not accept, we need to clear everything in the shortest possible time, Gabriel added.
It is clear that both the Agreement and the composition of the Council of Ministers should go together. Until yesterday, we had no clarity whether the Agreement would be signed or not. Yesterday they told us no, but today - that we will sign it. It is our understanding that they should be signed together. What we saw as a cabinet project, we are seeing for the first time. This composition is unacceptable for us, said Nikolay Denkov.
Negotiations continue, Gabriel concluded.
BGNES reminds that an hour before the handover of the mandate, a list of the ministers agreed upon by the two coalitions was unofficially distributed.
According to unofficial information, the document signed by GERB-SDS and PP-DB also includes a named composition of the Council of Ministers.
According to him, the ministerial positions are distributed as follows: Maria Gabriel will be prime minister and minister of foreign affairs; Nikolay Denkov - Deputy Prime Minister for European Affairs; Asen Vassilev - Minister of Finance; Kalin Stoyanov remains at the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs; Andrey Tsekov remains the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works; Denitsa Sacheva takes over the post of Minister of Labor and Social Policy; Hristo Gadjev replaces Todor Tagarev at the head of the Ministry of Defense; Atanas Slavov remains Minister of Justice; Krasimir Valchev will be Minister of Education; Katya Paneva - of health care, Krastyo Krastev remains the minister of culture; Ivelina Vasileva takes over the Ministry of Education and Culture; Kiril Vatev remains in his post as Minister of Agriculture and Food; Rosen Zhelyazkov leaves his post as Speaker of the National Assembly and becomes Minister of Innovation; Zhecho Stankov takes over Bulgarian energy; Bogdan Bogdanov remains Minister of Economy and Industry, Georgi Gvozdeikov also retains his post and remains Minister of Transport and Communications; Alexander Iolovsky also remains at the head of the Ministry of e-Government; Zaritsa Dinkova remains the Minister of Tourism, and Dimitar Iliev - of Youth and Sports. /BGNES
