Bulgaria's GERB-UDF PM-designate Gabriel proposes cabinet

Earlier this month, Bulgaria's parliament accepted the resignation of prime minister Nikolay Denkov of WCC-DB, the second largest political formation in parliament, opening the way for a rotation of government agreed upon earlier under a power-sharing deal between GERB-UDF and WCC-DB. As part of the agreement, Gabriel is set to take over the post of prime minister from Denkov for the next nine months.

"I return the mandate fulfilled with a sense of responsibility to Bulgaria. Our country needs stability so that we can defend our place among European and other nations with dignity," Gabriel, who has been serving as deputy prime minister and foreign affairs minister since June 6, 2023, said, as seen in a live broadcast by state broadcaster BNT.

Bulgaria needs a stable government to achieve its key priorities, including accession to the eurozone and introduction of the Schengen acquis at the land borders, she noted.

For the proposed cabinet to take office, it needs support from at least 121 members of the 240-seat National Assembly. If it fails to gain parliamentary approval, the president will hand an exploratory mandate to the WCC-DB coalition.

Following the snap election held on April 2 last year, GERB-UDF has 69 seats in parliament, while WCC-DB controls 63.

In the proposed cabinet, Gabriel will serve as both prime minister and foreign minister, while Denkov will be deputy prime minister of European affairs. Assen Vassilev will remain finance minister and Bogdan Bogdanov will keep his position as minister of economy and industry.