site.btaUPDATED GERB-UDF Immediately Returns Cabinet-Forming Mandate

Outgoing Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov returned an exploratory mandate to form a new Cabinet on behalf of GERB-UDF immediately after receiving it from President Rumen Radev on Monday.

"Your resignation in the wake of the mass protests across the country was an act of wisdom and responsibility," Radev told Zhelyazkov when handing over the mandate.

For his part, Zhelyazkov said: "We believe March 29 is a good date for holding the elections." He said GERB-UDF believes the elections should be held as soon as possible, and the end of March is a suitable time, as the nearly two months leading up to that date are likely to be dominated by heavy political rhetoric that divides rather than unites Bulgarians. He warned that such rhetoric could once again discourage voter turnout rather than motivate it.

"That is why we should hold the elections as soon as possible. The year 2026 will see not only these elections - Bulgarians will go to the polls at least once more, for the presidential election, and campaigns for all types of elections have already begun," Zhelyazkov said. He also stressed that the current crisis should not be allowed to become a political or institutional one.

On December 11, 2025, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov tendered the Cabinet's resignation following nationwide protests against the 2026 budget bill and corruption.

On January 9, GERB-UDF floor leader and GERB leader Boyko Borissov said GERB-UDF would immediately return the mandate unfulfilled.

This mandate was the first to be handed over by Radev. Under the Constitution, the President must next grant a Cabinet-forming mandate to a candidate nominated by the second-largest parliamentary group, in this case, Continue the Change -Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB). On January 10, Ivaylo Mirchev MP of CC-DB said that when the President hands them the mandate, they will return it unfulfilled immediately.

Explainer

Under the Bulgarian Constitution, when a government resigns, it continues to perform its functions until a new regular cabinet is elected or a caretaker one appointed.

The Constitution does not set a time limit after the government's resignation within which the President of the Republic must begin consultations with the parliamentary groups and hand out cabinet-forming mandates to their prime ministers-designate, starting with the largest group. If the first two attempts fail, a third mandate goes to a parliamentary group selected by the President. Should all three mandates be unsuccessful, the head of State must appoint a caretaker cabinet and schedule early parliamentary elections within two months. The National Assembly continues to function until a new legislature is elected and sworn in.

The pool of potential caretaker prime ministers from which the President may choose is limited to the Chairperson of the National Assembly, the Governor or Deputy Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank, the President or a Vice-President of the National Audit Office, and the National Ombudsman or a Deputy Ombudsman.