site.btaContinue the Change National Council to Discuss Planned No-Confidence Motion against Zhelyazkov Cabinet

The National Council of Continue the Change (CC) will meet on Saturday to discuss a no-confidence motion against the Zhelyazkov Cabinet that it plans to submit jointly with Democratic Bulgaria (DB) in September, CC chairperson Assen Vassilev said on Friday. The specific topic and grounds for the motion are yet to be specified.

On Friday, CC MPs supported a no-confidence motion submitted by the Velichie parliamentary group, which was backed by Vazrazhdane and Morality, Unity, Honour (MECh), or a total of 48 MPs. Vassilev said that CC had voted in favor because “they consider this government to be harmful for Bulgaria.”  

An extraordinary meeting of CC’s National Council in late June confirmed that Vassilev would remain the sole chairperson until the party's general meeting, scheduled for September 27–28. This decision followed the resignation of Kiril Petkov as CC co-chairperson and MP amid allegations of pressure exerted on the mayors of Lyulin and Mladost over public procurement procedures.

Democratic Bulgaria took a different stance in Friday's vote. Ahead of the plenary sitting, Bozhidar Bozhanov, co-chairperson of Yes, Bulgaria!, a partner in the DB coalition, said that DB would not participate in the vote save for one leader's voice against the Cabinet. He said that the latest no-confidence vote, like previous ones, ultimately serves the ruling coalition by granting it more legitimacy and allowing it to mock the pro-Russian opposition.