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UPDATED GERB-UDF Reaffirms Commitment to Predictable, Functioning Institutions

Diana Dukovska, Nikolay Trifonov
GERB-UDF Reaffirms Commitment to Predictable, Functioning Institutions
GERB-UDF Reaffirms Commitment to Predictable, Functioning Institutions
Toma Bikov MP of GERB-UDF reads out a declaration at the opening of the autumn parliamentary session, Sofia, September 3, 2025 (BTA Photo/Nikola Uzunov)
Sofia,  
03.09.2025 09:54 | UPDATED 03.09.2025 10:52
 (BTA)

In a declaration read out from the rostrum at the opening of Parliament's autumn session on Wednesday, Toma Bikov said GERB-UDF would stick to its position that Bulgarian society needs predictable, stable, functioning institutions. GERB-UDF is the largest group with 66 MPs in the 240-seat Parliament.

Bikov said: "The present government came to power after a four-year political crisis, a period long enough for all our opponents to demonstrate both their qualities and the opportunities they could offer. That four-year period was marked by grand rhetoric but no lasting political action in the interest of society."

"The attempt to destroy GERB ended in an attempt to destroy parliamentary democracy itself," Bikov said, noting that those who promised sweeping change failed to deliver their main commitment - forming a stable government supported by a functioning parliament.

Bikov stressed that GERB had pledged, from the start of this Parliament, to help form a government capable of assuming political responsibility and completing its four-year term. "Today we confidently reaffirm this position and declare that the only alternative to this governance is the chaos, irresponsibility and deadlock witnessed between 2021 and 2025," he said.

Analysing the past nine months, he criticized the fragmented parliamentary opposition, saying it either seeks to pull Bulgaria away from Europe or is consumed by internal leadership crises caused by a series of electoral failures.

According to Bikov, the only thing in common between these two opposition lines of behaviour is that they lack a sense of realism, both about the parties' own potential and about the world around them. This is evidenced by the series of failed no-confidence motions against the government, which demonstrated the political helplessness and the lack of imagination and responsibility of the opposition. "There are no signs that the opposition is capable of forming a viable government to replace the present majority," he added.

Bikov dismissed calls for early elections, saying that any party or institution pushing for them is either out of touch with reality or is pursuing self-seeking interests.

Looking ahead, Bikov said: "We have no illusions that this session will take place in a calm environment, both in terms of the external challenges facing the country and in terms of the domestic political perspectives. We are ready to assist, and expect the government to organize, a smooth and trouble-free transition when Bulgaria enters the eurozone on January 1, 2026," the MP said.

"We are aware that for this historic step, we cannot expect support either from the opposition entities that have declared themselves against Bulgaria's European perspective from the outset, or from those who are pro-European in words but not in deeds. Nor can we rely on support from the presidential institution, which is in party-building mode," Bikov said.

He noted that this parliamentary session will also see the adoption of Bulgaria's first budget within the eurozone. Work on the Recovery and Resilience Plan should continue "with the same pace and focus as in the previous session," he said, adding that the 51st National Assembly will continue to fulfill its responsibilities to elect members of regulatory bodies that have long exceeded their mandate.

GERB-UDF reaffirmed its strategic position that Bulgaria's pro-European course has no alternative. "Our efforts will remain focused on preserving the pro-European consensus in Bulgarian society, and we hope to receive support from all groups that call themselves pro-European," Bikov said.

Traditionally, the session began with statements from the parliamentary groups outlining their priorities for the new political season.

The new session opened to the sound of the national anthem and the EU anthem. The MPs were on recess from August 1 to 31.

There were 210 MPs in the plenary. Chair Nataliya Kiselova announced that there was a quorum and opened the sitting.

/DD/

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By 00:33 on 04.09.2025 Today`s news

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