site.btaContinue the Change Leader Vassilev Rules Out Backing Government of Progressive Bulgaria

Assen Vassilev, leader of Continue the Change, Tuesday said his party would not support a government led by Progressive Bulgaria, adding that voters had assigned his party the role of opposition in Parliament.

"We will certainly not support a government of Progressive Bulgaria. Our voters gave us the role of opposition. They [Progressive Bulgaria] have a sufficient majority to form a government," Vassilev told a briefing after consultations with President Iliana Iotova on forming a cabinet.

He said his party would back specific measures related to judicial reform and the budget, noting that several draft laws in that direction had already been submitted.

Vassilev reiterated his stance against raising taxes, adding that automatic increases should apply only where there is a clear public need and severe shortages, such as in the healthcare sector.

He also pointed to around EUR 2 billion in funding dependent on urgent actions by June 30, arguing that these relate to completing reforms that, in his words, GERB and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) have blocked for more than two years, preventing full disbursement under the Recovery and Resilience Plan.

Nikolay Denkov, chair of the parliamentary group of Continue the Change, stressed the importance of preventing changes to the Supreme Judicial Council that could simply replace one set of key figures with another. He added that curbing spending could involve stopping what he described as the hidden diversion of funds into unclear schemes.

On a potential joint presidential nomination with Democratic Bulgaria, Vassilev said the parties would follow their agreed procedure for selecting a common candidate.