site.btaUPDATED Caretaker PM May Be Chosen Beyond Individuals Touted, GERB-UDF Suggest

The GERB-UDF Parliamentary Group suggests that the choice of a caretaker prime minister should be extended beyond the officials already touted, including to all 239 MPs [excluding the National Assembly Chair], Deputy Floor Leader Denitsa Sacheva said during Tuesday's consultations with President Iliana Iotova on the caretaker PM appointment procedure.

"You could exercise judgment as to whether there is some colleague of ours among those remaining 239 MPs who could execute these commitments and duties. For our part, we as the largest parliamentary group commit to back the election of a new National Assembly chair who could fulfil the constitutional commitment as a caretaker prime minister," Sacheva said.

In her words, this proposal does not seek to whip up political tensions but to give the President broader options and ensure her more institutional leeway in making the decision. She stressed that the idea is to broaden the head of State's options and ensure her maximum leeway and impartiality in making the decision.

The Deputy Floor Leader said that her parliamentary group will not advise the President about her choice and will refrain from assessing particular individuals.

Sacheva added that the proposal may be considered and discussed with other parliamentary groups and with the President's advisers.

On January 27, at a meeting with President Iotova, sitting National Assembly Chair and GERB-UDF MP Raya Nazaryan declined the offer to become caretaker PM. Emerging from the appointment, Nazaryan told journalists that a political figure should not serve as caretaker prime minister because "there must be a sense of impartiality." She added that it would be unfair if she was picked for head of the future caretaker cabinet because the choice would raise suspicions of interference in the subsequent electoral process. 

Under the Constitution as last amended, the head of Parliament is one of ten senior public officials among whom a caretaker MP must be chosen. The rest are the Bulgarian National Bank governor and the three deputy governors, the Bulgarian National Audit Office president and the two vice presidents, and the National Ombudsman and the deputy ombudsman.

Sacheva told the President that Bulgaria has already held eight parliamentary elections [in the ten years since 2017] which, as she put is, "is far too many" and have cost over BGN 1 billion and this spending will keep increasing. She stressed that, at the same time, there are numerous policies that warrant closer attention and better funding.

The Deputy Floor Leader argued that this country is wasting precious time and chances to capitalize on its Eurozone membership and to work on modernization and investor-attraction projects. Instead, yet again it should get ready for elections and arranging candidate lists.

Sacheva said that her parliamentary group attaches paramount importance to the holding of the elections according to clear and transparent rules and is not afraid of political competition and canvassing because it has a clear programme, vision and team.

The Deputy Floor Leader also stressed the significance of the state budget, which is expected by both the Bulgarian municipalities and citizens.

"We remain perplexed why we had to resign so urgently, once we have been unable to come to terms about the election date for elections for three months now," Sacheva pointed out. "An outgoing cabinet has a strictly limited mandate and is unable to achieve results expected by citizens," she added.

The Rosen Zhelyazkov cabinet, formed by GERB-UDF, the Socialist Party and There Is Such a People and backed by MRF - New Beginning, resigned on December 11, 2025 under pressure from massive anti-government protests in Sofia and other cities across the country.

Sacheva congratulated Iotova on being the first female President of Bulgaria and thanked her for trying to revive inter-institutional dialogue.