site.btaDemocratic Bulgaria to Be Constructive Opposition, Warns It Won’t Stay Silent on Dismantling "Peevski-Borissov" Model

Democratic Bulgaria will be a constructive opposition that supports the right policies, said Bozhidar Bozhanov, deputy Floor Leader of the Democratic Bulgaria parliamentary group and co-chairman of Yes, Bulgaria (part of the Democratic Bulgaria coalition) during the consultations with President Iliana Iotova on Tuesday before the handing over of the first exploratory mandate for forming a government.

Bozhanov was adamant that the parliamentary group will not remain silent when and if the authorities deviate from the mandate received from the Bulgarian citizens, primarily to dismantle the Peevski-Borissov model, referring to Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) - New Beginning leader Delyan Peevski and GERB leader Boyko Borissov. According to Bozhanov, in the last days after the elections, the topic had somehow disappeared from the rhetoric of the Progressive Bulgaria coalition and has been replaced by general formulations.

"We will strictly monitor that the model is dismantled so that another regrouping does not occur, as has happened in the past, the model will try to do so," Bozhanov warned.

According to him, one of the priorities of Democratic Bulgaria is the replacement of the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) as quickly as possible. According to Democratic Bulgaria, the new members of the SJC must be elected by the end of this parliamentary session, by the end of July, according to rules that guarantee transparency and integrity of future members, so that the election of a new Prosecutor General can go forth. 

“We were surprised to see that Progressive Bulgaria is asking for a new debt ceiling, which does not correspond to a great extent with their request in the election campaign, where they presented a rather right-wing looking programme," commented Ivaylo Mirchev, co-chair of Yes, Bulgaria. He explained Bulgaria is currently at a record level of state debt for nearly 30 years, and raising the debt ceiling would be a bad sign for investors and credit agencies. 

"GERB said that the ceiling should not be raised, but they were the ones who in 2025 raised the debt to record levels in the last 30 years," Mirchev continued. "I think it is time for calm and for all political forces to unite around concrete measures to stabilize the country's finances," he said.

The Democratic Bulgaria representatives stated that taxes should not be modified under any circumstances, all automatic salary mechanisms should be reviewed, with the exception of the Ministry of Defence and that a reform in the civil administration is necessary. Mirchev called the budget proposals will be "right-wing, but adequate to stabilize state finances, because we are about to enter a debt spiral if the state debt ceiling is increased".

According to the chair of Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria (part of the Democratic Bulgaria coalition) Atanas Atanassov, the concentration of one-party power provides opportunities for stability in the country, but at the same time there is a need for effective control. Institutional control is also needed. He believes that one of the first challenges facing the new government is to propose and transparently elect a new chairman of the State Agency for National Security.

Mirchev also pointed out that Democratic Bulgaria joins President Iotova's positive assessment of the caretaker finance minister. The party also assessed positively the conduct of the entire caretaker government and to the way the April 19 parliamentary elections were held. "In this regard, your role in determining the caretaker prime minister at a very difficult moment for the country - you made the best choice for Bulgaria, not for one or another political force. These people have largely justified the trust," Mirchev emphasized.