President Radev Says MRF-New Beginning Propped Up Cabinet Despite Staying Outside Governing Coalition

UPDATED President Radev Says MRF-New Beginning Propped Up Cabinet Despite Staying Outside Governing Coalition

Yoana Vodenicharova, Konstantin Kostov

Pictured from left: MRF-New Beginning Deputy Floor Leaders Iskra Mihaylova and Jordan Tzonev and President Rumen Radev, Sofia, December 16, 2025 (BTA Photo/Vladimir Shokov)

Sofia,

16.12.2025 12:25 | UPDATED 16.12.2025 12:50

(BTA)

Speaking at the start of consultations with the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) – New Beginning on Tuesday, President Rumen Radev said that they had not been part of the governing coalition but had propped up the government. Attending the talks were Deputy Floor Leaders Jordan Tzonev, Halil Letifov and Iskra Mihaylova-Koparova, as well as MPs Aysel Mustafova and Dzhem Yamenov.

The head of State began consultations with parliamentary groups ahead of handing out a government-forming mandate after the Cabinet resigned last week. Consultations with GERB-UDF and Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria took place on Monday. Earlier on Tuesday, Radev met with Vazrazhdane.

"You are not part of the governing coalition, but you have always voiced your support and have propped up this government, taking a clear position that there should be no snap elections and that Bulgaria needs a stable government that will run its full term and deliver important policies for the country," Radev said as he opened the talks. He added that MRF–New Beginning was deeply involved in "these processes that are unfolding in the Bulgarian Parliament and in our society."

Radev asked the MRF–New Beginning representatives whether they would seek to extend the life of the 51st National Assembly under a different governing configuration, or whether they believed snap elections were unavoidable. He also asked whether changes to the Election Code were needed and raised the issue of the budget extension law and how it would be implemented.

As to machine voting, the head of State agreed with MRF-New Beginning's argument that court proceedings should make it possible to establish whether there were discrepancies in the data. He also supported the proposal for a parallel count of what machines show. "We have seen that even with paper ballots, control is still lacking, as there were voting sections - even in Sofia - where there were no ballots," Radev said.

On price gouging and the euro changeover, Radev said he supported all measures necessary to prevent unjustified price increases. He questioned why such measures had not been in place throughout the year so far. "In my view, this period should have begun in the first half of the year. The work that needed to be done was not done, so there would be no price gouging," he noted.

Under the Constitution, after the Cabinet’s resignation, the President must start a procedure for handing out exploratory government-forming mandates. After consultations with the parliamentary groups, the head of State mandates the largest one to form a government. If the group fails to do so, he mandates the second largest one. If it also fails, the third exploratory mandate goes to a parliamentary group chosen by the President. Failure to form a regular government under the third mandate results in snap parliamentary elections.

/DS/