Radev rejects cabinet's proposal to lead the NATO summit delegation
President Rumen Radev has rejected the caretaker government's offer to lead the Bulgarian delegation and participate in the NATO meeting in Washington between 9-11 July. Radev said he "does not accept some provisions of the framework positions adopted by the caretaker cabinet concerning the commitments that Bulgaria made for the war in Ukraine." Furthermore, the President claims that from the first day of the war in Ukraine he had strongly condemned Russian aggression.
The framework positions have been developed by the MFA, the previous cabinet and Bulgaria's UN mission over the course of the past year and will be presented by Bulgaria at the alliance meeting.
After Radev rejected the caretaker government's offer to lead the Bulgarian delegation, caretaker PM Dimitar Glavchev announced that he would represent Bulgaria because "there is no one else".
GERB receives the first mandate to form a cabinet on Monday
President Rumen Radev will hand over the first mandate to form a government to GERB on Monday, 1 July, the press center of the Head of State announced on Friday. If Boyko Borissov's party fails to form a cabinet, according to constitutional procedure, the next mandate should go to the second largest group in parliament - MRF. If it too fails to deliver, Radev has the right to choose which of the other parties in the 50th National Assembly to give the third mandate to.
During the consultations with the President, four of the minor parties asked to receive the third mandate - Vazrazhdane, BSP, TISP and Velichie. However, GERB leader Boyko Borissov has pledged not to back a cabinet with any other mandate than the first, so currently the most likely scenario is another early election.
In the meantime, a Market Links poll published on Friday claims that the new parliament kicks off with a record-low public trust of 9%, with 68% of respondents saying they have no trust in it. "Once again we are reaching a situation where there is no political solution and no prospect of even relative sustainability," Market Links president Dobromir Zhivkov said.
Romania green-lights Ruse - Giurgiu ferry
The Romanian government has approved a draft law that provides for the restoration of ferry services to serve both banks of the Danube Bridge. This means that a ferry line could link Ruse and Giurgiu as early as this summer.
It is a question of reopening an old crossing point that was in operation until 2005. Its commissioning will take place after the infrastructure is built, staff is provided and the necessary communications are in place, according to the decision document sent by government sources to the Bulgarian Telegraphic Agency. The ferry link would be able to transport at least 200 trucks per day in each direction, which amounts to 12-15% of the Danube Bridge traffic that will be redirected from the bridge to the ferry line.
Radev rejects cabinet's proposal to lead the NATO summit delegation
President Rumen Radev has rejected the caretaker government's offer to lead the Bulgarian delegation and participate in the NATO meeting in Washington between 9-11 July. Radev said he "does not accept some provisions of the framework positions adopted by the caretaker cabinet concerning the commitments that Bulgaria made for the war in Ukraine." Furthermore, the President claims that from the first day of the war in Ukraine he had strongly condemned Russian aggression.
