site.btaDeputy PM Zafirov: Every Future Government Will Need Jointly Developed New Vision

Outgoing Deputy Prime Minister Atanas Zafirov, leader of the National Council of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and BSP - United Left leader, said on Facebook that every future government will need a new, jointly developed vision. Bulgaria is once again heading for elections. They have become the norm, followed by yet another search for stable governance - which has in turn become a deviation from the norm, he said.

"Let's see who will have the stamina to go through this and finally realize that the world has changed, alliances have changed, society has changed and technologies have changed, and that each successive government will need a new vision, developed jointly," Zafirov said.

This post was prompted by the first anniversary of the (now outgoing) Rosen Zhelyazkov cabinet, formed on January 16, 2025. Zafirov described what happened at the time as "an unprecedented demonstration in Bulgaria of setting aside party ego and proposing a new, joint political formula - uniting the ununitable around specific priorities in the name of the state".

"It was this government that led Bulgaria into the euro area. This government set about addressing the water crisis, created not by natural shortages but by a decades-long deficit in governance capacity. It was also this government that unblocked major infrastructure projects and 'saved' municipalities from financial collapse, and managed to recover BGN 5 billion under the Recovery and Resilience Plan. But these are invisible mechanisms, hidden from public view, that drive normality in the state," Zafirov said.

The BSP - United Left leader said the coalition's main mistake in the government was that it worked quietly and consistently without highlighting its achievements. BSP had played a key role in preserving institutional stability during tensions between the President and the government coalition partners, he said, adding that BSP - United Left has no differences with the President on fundamental issues concerning Bulgaria's identity and its place in the world.

Zafirov said that BSP's moral standing is beyond question; the party has sought to halt the country's crisis and restore normality. He criticized internal opponents, arguing that the loudest critics today are figures from the party elite, who were themselves involved in past mistakes while benefiting from their positions in government.