On Tuesday morning the leaders of the political parties represented at the 42^nd National Assembly decided unanimously at a sitting of the Consultative Council for National Security that early Parliamentary elections should be held between September 28 and October 12, 2014. Again on Tuesday, they went into conflict at the National Assembly plenary hall in a debate under President Plevneliev proposal about a national referendum on the election system. One day later GERB leader Boyko Borissov tore before journalists the agreement papers, saying that he could not trust anymore the Bulgarian Socialist Party, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms and Ataka and declared war on these parties.

Borissov’s rage was caused by the fact that the National Assembly rejected his proposal to avoid discussions of President Plevneliev’s veto on the new Interior Ministry Act. GERB leader Borissov declared war to all other parties represented at the Parliament right ahead of the start of the consultations between them about the date of the early Parliamentary elections, the priorities of the current National Assembly in the remaining days before it is actually dissolved, the signing of the agreement with the European Union and the nomination of the Bulgarian EU Commissioner. GERB adjustment “One against all” does not bring huge optimism about the outcome of the future consultations.

The National Assembly has also rejected President Plevneliev proposal about a national referendum on election rules between the sitting of the Consultative Council for National Security and Borissov’s statements. There was a huge controversy between the political parties during this debate which proves the expectations that the future consultations will be extremely tense and Bulgaria is to find itself in a very complicated pre-election situation. The ruling BSP party agreed with GERB with the issue regarding the mandatory voting which boosted the tension between the socialists and its partner in the current government the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, which would suffer losses if mandatory voting is adopted in this country. BSP and GERB were of a different opinion on the issues regarding the implementation of the electronic and the majority voting and the MRF and BSP joined efforts against GERB during the voting of all three proposals in plenary hall. The debate about the national referendum on election rules showed a serious conflict between the political parties which are ready to enter in various combinations and compromise in the name of their own interests.

The parties represented at the National Assembly unanimously agreed with the idea of a “smooth transition towards political stability” in the morning and entered into conflict later in the afternoon. If similar adjustments repeat during the forthcoming political consultations, Bulgaria would face the biggest threat described by President Plevneliev as “a spiral of permanent instability and heavy political confrontation”.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov