Unofficial: The negotiations have hit a snag, there will be no government - going to elections

GERB-Union of Democratic Forces (GERB-UDF) and We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (WCC-DB) have not reached an agreement during the extended period of negotiations to form a government, the mandate will be returned with an empty folder, and Bulgaria will go to elections.

This was reported unofficially by high-ranking sources from the two-party headquarters of the coalitions to BGNES.

Today, at 12.00, the ultimatum set by GERB's nominee for Prime Minister, Maria Gabriel, to reach an agreement with WCC-DB expired.

According to unofficial information, the mandate will be returned today to President Rumen Radev in the afternoon. Confirmation from the presidential institution is awaited.

Official statements from the party headquarters are also expected at any moment.

BGNES reminds that on Monday Maria Gabriel accepted the mandate from Rumen Radev as a candidate for Prime Minister from GERB-UDF. This happened in the presence of the GERB negotiating team the resigned prime minister Nikolay Denkov and the co-chairman of WCC-DB Kiril Petkov.

Hristo Ivanov did not report any news this morning.

I have no news - nothing to report. We discuss everything. Today I hope we are all realistic, said WCC-DB co-chairman Hristo Ivanov upon entering the parliament building.

A short comment was also made by Delyan Dobrev from GERB, who is one of the critics of the government in its non-coalition format so far.

I'm not very optimistic. I don't understand what is so important to Tagerev that a Tagarev would send us to elections, said Dobrev this morning.

Also on Monday, Denkov stated that the draft composition of the cabinet presented to them was unacceptable for WCC-DB. In it, Gabriel is prime minister and foreign minister, Todor Tagarev is replaced by Hristo Gadjev in The Ministry of Defence, Krasimir Valchev becomes minister of education, Rosen Zhelyazkov – of innovations, the two MPs Denitsa Sacheva and Zhecho Stankov respectively – of labour and social policy and of energy. Katya Paneva takes over health care. /BGNES