Leaders in the new ruling coalition in Bulgaria admit they lack confidence in each other but continue to convince voters that a government between GERB and Change Continues – Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB) is the best for the country.

The EU’s poorest member state has been in a spiralling political crisis for the past two years and faces the risk of new elections if sharp conflicts between the main political players are not resolved.

On Monday, an agreement was announced for a government with the support of the two largest parties, which should protect the pro-Western orientation of the country.

For the first time in the political history of Bulgaria, it was accepted that prime ministers should rotate every nine months. Prof. Nikolay Denkov from PP-DB will be Bulgaria’s prime minister for the first nine months, followed by former Bulgarian EU commissioner Maria Gabriel (GERB).

Despite the political deal, the tension between the two political formations, which were main political rivals for two years, remains strong. Kiril Petkov, former prime minister and current co-chairman of The Change Continues, apologised to voters that a GERB member will be in government with the PP-DB mandate.

“If our friends and voters felt terrible about this fact, I apologise,” Petkov said on Tuesday.

Still, he praised Gabriel, whom he says can help Bulgaria be accepted into Schengen and the Eurozone. He explained that the former Bulgarian commissioner became a political key that allowed the idea of a rotating prime minister to be adopted.

“She is someone who has undoubted qualities and competence in Brussels. I think that even the biggest critics of GERB in Bulgaria cannot deny that Maria Gabriel has more experience than many others for these two big tasks to be achieved,” said Petkov.

Petkov admits that PP-DB and GERB do not trust each other so that they will work without an official coalition agreement. His words were echoed in the speech of GERB leader Boyko Borissov.

“Me and Kiril (Petkov) may not like each other, but this is the right course – to control each other, to move forward, and to follow the European path. We have huge support for today’s decision because it is indeed responsible in the name of the state,” Borissov said at a meeting with the GERB parliamentary group Monday evening.

According to Borissov, this government will be the only chance for something good to happen in Bulgaria. As for the decision to have a rotating government, he also explained that GERB and PP-DB did not betray voters as it was in the people’s interest.

“There are times when we quarrel again. Bulgarians are like that – we love to hate. This is a tough decision for them (PP-DB). It is also very difficult for us,” said Borissov.

(Krassen Nikolov | EURACTIV.bg)

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