The winter session of Bulgaria’s National Assembly started after a long Christmas holiday that lasted for nearly one month. It became clear from the usual political declarations, read from the Parliament’s rostrum, that even the partners in the current coalition cabinet did not have common priorities. Moreover, new political splintering occurred in Parliament.

In 2016 the main economic priorities of the biggest coalition partner GERB will regard the liberalization of the energy market, the gas and oil prospecting in the Black Sea shelf, higher expenditure efficiency and full absorption of the EU funds. GERB will also give priority to the judicial reform and the improvement of the communication between universities and the local business. According to that party, the subsidies granted to the local universities should be bound up with the quality of the education.

Four parties from the Reformist Bloc which continue to support the cabinet pointed out that their priorities were included in their proposal for amendment of the current coalition agreement with GERB-speeding reforms in the judicial field, education, power engineering, the election code and the pension system. The Reformist Bloc came up with a declaration that the formation started the new political season united, although ten MPs from its parliamentary group are in opposition (from the Democrats for Strong Bulgaria and from its civil quota). Thirteen MPs from the Union of Democratic Forces, Bulgaria for Citizens Movement, the National Freedom and Dignity Party continue to support the government. The Democrats for Strong Bulgaria is considering the possibility to create a new opposition bloc.

The Alternative for Bulgarian Revival and the Patriotic Front, which have been providing parliamentary support to the cabinet, also voiced different political priorities. The main priority of ABV will regard new measures to combat demographic crisis in Bulgaria. The Patriotic Front’s main priority regards alleviation of the heavy administrative burden over the small and the medium business.

The two main opposition forces the Bulgarian Socialist Party and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms also voiced different priorities- the socialists will insist on the implementation of social policies such as the restoration of the progressive tax rate and the introduction of different value added tax rates which would reduce the expenditures of the households. Another priority of BSP regards the “substitution of the current neoliberalism with a democratic and constitutional state”. After former leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms Lutvi Mestan was dramatically ousted from the party and the parliamentary group, that political party defined itself as an independent, Bulgarian, systematic, democratic and Euro-Atlantic political formation. The MRF pointed out in Parliament that it will continue to be an opposition force, because of the presence of some nationalistic elements in the current cabinet, which hamper the Euro-Atlantic development of the country. Thus, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms indirectly refuted the forecasts that it may try to enter into alliance with the ruling coalition. That hypothesis was in fact denied by the Bulgarian Prime Minister and GERB leader Boyko Borissov himself.

The six former MPs from the Movement for Rights and Freedoms who splintered from the party sat next to other five independent MPs in the National Assembly hall. Thus, the total number of independent MPs in Parliament is enough for the formation of a new parliamentary group, if the MPs decide to do so, of course. It turned out that the Turkish electorate in Bulgaria is now represented by the ruling coalition, as well as by the opposition and some independent MPs.

Although the current National Assembly looks more fragmented, the topic about possible early regular elections was absent in the first sitting of the Bulgarian Parliament. Perhaps some political parties in the current Parliament feel uncertain that in case of possible early elections they may not be able to enter Parliament again, or retain their current positions. Some experts contend that only GERB, BSP and the MRF stand the chance of entering the National Assembly, if elections were held today. Under these circumstances, GERB will continue to pursue their goals through floating majorities and these majorities are not likely to turn into quick sand, as the Reformist Bloc did not rule out such possibility, because Borissov’s party has already proved that it can swim well in murky waters.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov