site.btaUPDATED Central Bank Deputy Governor Chobanov Says He Won't Become Caretaker PM

The Bulgarian National Bank's (BNB) Deputy Govenor Petar Chobanov said that he will not become caretaker prime minister. "The answer is "no", I don't think I am currently needed in that role," he told journalists here on Wednesday after meeting President Iliana Iotova. 

Earlier in the day, Iotova met with BNB Governor Dimitar Radev, who also turned down the post, arguing that accepting it would be in violation of European and Bulgarian legislation. It remains for the President to confer with BNB deputy governors Radoslav Milenkov, and Andrey Gurov. 

On Thursday, the President will receive Ombudsman Velislava Delcheva and Deputy Ombudsman Maria Filipova. On Friday, Iotova will meet with Bulgarian National Audit Office (BNAO) President Dimitar Glavchev and BNAO Vice Presidents Margarita Nikolova and Silvia Kadreva.

Under Article 99, paragraph 5 of the Constitution, after failure to reach agreement on forming a government, the President, following consultations with the parliamentary groups and on the proposal of the candidate for caretaker prime minister, appoints a caretaker government and schedules new parliamentary elections within two months.

The pool of potential caretaker prime ministers from which the President may choose is limited to the Chairperson of the National Assembly (Raya Nazaryan), the Governor or Deputy Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank (Dimitar Radev, Petar Chobanov, Andrey Gurov and Radoslav Milenkov), the President or a Vice President of the National Audit Office (Dimitar Glavchev, Margarita Nikolova and Silvia Kadreva) and the National Ombudsman (Velislava Delcheva) or the Deputy Ombudsman (Maria Filipova).

In late 2025, then-President Rumen Radev held consultations with parliamentary groups following the resignation of the Rosen Zhelyazkov Cabinet. On January 16, Radev said Bulgaria was heading toward snap parliamentary elections after the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms received and returned the third mandate to form a government. Earlier, the first two exploratory mandates - handed to GERB-UDF and Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria - had also been returned.

"The difference from previous procedures is that back then I said I would take on the role of caretaker prime minister only if I believed there was a risk of a constitutional crisis and no one else was willing to agree. Now the list has been expanded, and some people, even at the time of their selection, were fully aware that they could become candidates and have expressed their consent. I do not believe there will be a constitutional crisis, nor that I am needed in this role," Chobanov explained.

He said that he and President Iotova had held an in-depth discussion about what the country faces in the coming months and the challenges ahead for Bulgaria, both internal, such as the process of adopting the euro, and foreign-policy challenges. "Ideas about a two-speed Europe are emerging – we discussed that as well. This is an old idea that is being revived, and it is not in our interest. The aim is for institutional dialogue to continue during the caretaker government and with the presidential institution, so that we can be sure a dignified national position is formulated and defended, in order to prevent a Europe of two speeds from excluding us," Chobanov added.

Germany will push for a "two-speed" European Union in order to overcome the current inertia in decision-making within the 27-member bloc and to achieve economic revitalisation, Reuters reported on Tuesday. According to Berlin, this should be done by forming a core group of six EU member states capable of acting on key policy issues so as to make Europe stronger and more independent.