site.btaUPDATED Caretaker PM Gurov Pledges Fair Elections

Caretaker Prime Minister Andrey Gurov told the National Assembly on Thursday that he and his cabinet would prepare fair elections and run the country until a regular government is formed. 

Speaking after he and his ministers took the oath of office, Gurov added that the caretaker team was not promising “miracles” in two months and would govern calmly and realistically.

“I am speaking not only to this chamber, but to every Bulgarian citizen who expects from the State not promises, but responsibility,” Gurov said in his address.

"At a time of internal tension and global uncertainty, we have no right to pick and choose which tasks to undertake," Gurov said. He reaffirmed that Bulgaria’s European and Euro-Atlantic orientation is not a tactic, but a core value, a strategic commitment, and a guarantee of security and prosperity.

Gurov said that Bulgaria will support efforts to achieve a lasting and just peace in Ukraine and wherever conflicts claim human lives, adding that the government will work closely with its allies in the European Union, NATO, and the United Nations. Bulgaria belongs among the democratic states and will defend that place through predictability, economic stability, and the protection of the democratic order.

Democracy is not a slogan; it is the only effective answer to crises, and elections are the only legitimate way to form a parliament that truly represents society, Gurov said.

In his address, Gurov also outlined how the country arrived at this point: a crisis of trust, rejection of the existing model of governance, and hundreds of thousands of people taking to the streets across the country. They demanded democracy and good governance, and our task is to give them a fair and honest chance to achieve it, the caretaker prime minister said. In his view, fair elections require not only a capable administration, but also civic maturity, engagement, responsible voting, and zero tolerance for violations that distort the will of the people. He urged Bulgarian citizens to vote on April 19 and not allow their vote to be turned into a tool serving someone else’s interests.

“I emphatically state that the caretaker government will neither advocate for nor oppose any political party,” Gurov said. “Our government has no parliamentary group,” he added. “But there are tasks that require legislative solutions. Let us be partners in the name of Bulgaria,” Gurov said in an appeal to all parliamentary groups.

“We must meet the requirements of the Recovery and Resilience Plan; its funds are not a gift, but an expression of our partners’ trust, and that trust rests on the rule of law,” Gurov said.

Gurov outlined as priorities fair elections and other key governance tasks. These include safeguarding financial stability under a budget extension and implementing the measures set out in the Plan for the Adoption of the Euro. Accordingly, the caretaker cabinet will prepare a new budget extension and the framework for the 2026 state budget. Second, it will ensure a fair allocation of funds to municipalities, with benefits for all citizens rather than serving anyone’s campaign. Third, it will guarantee the timely payment of pensions, social benefits, and support for the most vulnerable groups, including disadvantaged people and the unemployed.

Among the main tasks, he also highlighted the need to restore legality in the governance of the Prosecutor’s Office and ensure the normal functioning of the justice system through specific requirements for the Supreme Judicial Council, as well as by establishing clear standards for nominations by the justice minister to key positions in the judiciary. Ensuring the security of Bulgarian citizens is also a priority. We will work to ensure that information is not withheld and that institutions communicate openly and in a timely manner, instead of governing through rumours and insinuations, the caretaker prime minister said. In his programme, he also emphasized the need for effective organisation of the election process abroad, in coordination with the Central Election Commission and Bulgarian communities.

"I want to assure you that the caretaker government has no coalition arithmetic, no hidden conditions, and no backroom deals," Gurov said. "We are determined to show that power can be exercised calmly, without hypocrisy or revanchism, but with integrity and responsibility, he added. He said the government was formed as a broadly based expert cabinet, including people with political experience but without party dependencies. We want to show that this model of governance, grounded in responsibility, partnership, and integrity, can deliver good results," Gurov said.

He added that if, at the end of the caretaker government’s term, people feel it makes sense to vote, if turnout increases, and if the elections are recognized as fair, that will mean they have done their job.

"We are starting immediately in the name of Bulgaria!" Gurov concluded.

National Assembly Chair Raya Nazaryan wished a successful term to the entire cabinet.