“We continue the change – Democratic Bulgaria” does not see an alternative to governance with GERB, but for Sofia it is not looking for it

“We continue the change – Democratic Bulgaria” does not see an alternative to governance with GERB, but for Sofia it is not looking for it – Local elections 2023

“We continue the change – Democratic Bulgaria” does not see an alternative to governance with GERB, but it is not looking for it for Sofia

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We continue the change – Democratic Bulgaria” does not see an alternative to governing at the national level with GERB, but for now it does not say to rely on the party’s representatives in the new distribution of forces at the local level in Sofia. This became known at the first briefing of the coalition, together with the partner in the capital “Save Sofia”, after the final data from the voting in the second round of the local elections.

Vasil Terziev was elected mayor of the capital with a minimal margin over Vanya Grigorova, nominated by a coalition of the BSP and the “Levitsa”. The candidate of GERB, Anton Hekimyan, remained third, but in the Metropolitan Municipal Council, the group of GERB is larger (14 people) than that of BSP (9 people).

No “assembly” in Sofia

Boris Bonev from “Save Sofia” defined the end of GERB’s rule in the capital as a “political earthquake” and “a defeat over the previous model”. “I don’t think it’s possible to talk about any kind of “assembly” at the local level in Sofia,” said Vasil Terziev, when asked if the formula for governing at the national level – the partnership between GERB and “We continue the change – Democratic Bulgaria” – is the most it is often called an “assembly” – it can be repeated in the Metropolitan Municipal Council (SMC). Terziev said that already during the pre-election campaign, Boyko Borisov’s party was mentioned as an opponent.

The elected mayor of Sofia also pointed out that there are many similarities in the pre-election programs of the political forces represented in the SOS and we should “find a lot of things for which we can find support from the priorities we have set”.

“We will not enter into dirty contracts, agreements at the local level,” said Boris Bonev. He will be the proposal of the coalition for the chairman of the SOS.

There is no alternative

In the context of the threats of GERB chairman Boyko Borisov that his party will decide whether to withdraw its support from the government due to the opposition of the partners at the national level in the local elections, the co-chairman of “Democratic Bulgaria” Hristo Ivanov made it clear that the alternative are new early elections and he thinks that this pointless.

“Don’t expect us to start in the same tone of threatening, rocking the boat, destabilizing the country. When there is an alternative, when there is a responsible path to better governance, we will do it. But we will not engage in flattery, threats, contortion on hands,” said Hristo Ivanov.

To Borisov’s accusations that for the local elections “We continue the change – Democratic Bulgaria” allied with pro-Russian formations, Ivanov replied to the GERB leader that in Razgrad the party’s organization stood behind Dobrin Dobrev, who was ultimately elected mayor, supported by BSP.

Ivanov described as good news from the local elections that the results did not confirm the expectations for a new rise of “Vazrazhdane”. In the series of early parliamentary elections, Kostadin Kostadinov’s party rose from seventh to fourth to third political force in the National Assembly. “We see a calming down and it is our responsibility as leaders of the country to continue this trend, not to threaten,” Ivanov said in response to Borisov.

Expect details later at www.dnevnik.bg.