Bulgaria’s president held consultations with parliamentary parties on Tuesday, focusing on the state budget, rising prices, anti-corruption measures, foreign policy and judicial reform, ahead of handing out the first mandate to form a government.
The talks at the presidential office brought together representatives of six parliamentary groups — Progressive Bulgaria, GERB-SDS, DPS, Democratic Bulgaria, We Continue the Change and Vazrazhdane — amid a new political configuration following recent elections.
The consultations began under the sound of low-flying fighter jets rehearsing for May 6 celebrations, which Iotova described as “an honor.”
She said Bulgaria was entering “a new political situation,” stressing that voters had demanded stability, security and a functioning government, while warning that the country continues to operate under an extended budget, creating difficulties for both the economy and citizens.
Representatives of Progressive Bulgaria, who arrived first, said they aimed to form a government by the end of the week. They highlighted budget restructuring, tackling the growing deficit and securing new borrowing to cover social spending as priorities.
They also pledged to introduce legislative measures to curb rising prices and address what they described as “mass impoverishment,” while signaling continuity in foreign policy.
GERB-SDS said it would act as a constructive opposition, declining to support a government but leaving open the possibility of backing specific policies. The party warned against increasing public debt and called for limiting state spending to control the deficit without cutting social payments.
The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) also positioned itself as a constructive opposition force, emphasizing the need for dialogue between institutions and support for measures benefiting businesses and municipalities.
Democratic Bulgaria, which recently split its parliamentary group, said it would closely monitor the next government, particularly regarding anti-corruption efforts and dismantling entrenched political models.
We Continue the Change focused on economic governance and judicial reform, arguing that incomes — especially for vulnerable groups — must rise faster than inflation and calling for stronger institutional safeguards against political influence.
The nationalist Vazrazhdane party called for a referendum on restoring the Bulgarian lev, ending support for Ukraine, lifting sanctions on Russia and revisiting carbon policies, while warning against increasing state debt.
Under Bulgaria’s constitution, the president must hold consultations with parliamentary groups before assigning the first mandate to form a government.