Bulgarian President Rosen Plevneliev has dissolved parliament, appointing a caretaker government with Prof. Georgi Bliznashki as its Prime Minister . This is the 4^th caretaker government since the start of the transition period in 1989 and the second in the term of President Plevneliev. It comes as a result of large-scale civic protests against the cabinet of Plamen Oresharski with doubts on an underhand governing style, which resulted in a serious political and parliamentary crisis. The power is now back to the sovereign with the Bliznashki caretaker government, in order for the people to be able to give the country a new start via early polls on October 5.

The 90^th Bulgarian government is mainly an expert one and with the wide presence of persons from the protests, such as the caretaker premier himself. It has 4 deputy prime ministers in charge of 4 major spheres: economy; social policy; justice; order and security; EU funds’ management. In the words of the president the appointments are a sign of respect to the constitutional order, supemacy of the law and the democratic and pro-European civil society in Bulgaria. Prof. Bliznashki is an eminent constitutionalist, a person with an active civic stance and so are his deputies.

The main task of the Bliznashki caretaker cabinet is to prepare free and fair elections, returning the trust of the people. If it works in a non-partisan and expert manner, the new government will find public support, and will provide the public trust necessary to each following government, the head of state said. He added that the revision of the budget was among the urgent tasks of the caretaker cabinet, explaining it like that:

“The caretaker government won’t resort to any acts of revenge, but will tell the truth and would conceal nothing of the situation that the state is into. It will show that the governing of the country can be open towards the civic society, while the ideas, generated by the people can be a part of a governing program. I see the Bulgarian civic society as the true hero of last year. It proved that it had outgrown the level of the so-called political elite and had developed unmistakable sensitivity towards anything unfair and happening behind the curtain.”

New PM Bliznashki said it was his main duty to stick strictly to the letter and spirit of the Constitution of Bulgaria. In his words, it should be the starting point for restoration of public morality and the building of trust on the part of the citizens towards institutions once again. “The caretaker government is limited within its 3 months of existence and cannot discuss constitutional changes, cannot propose and adopt laws, cannot implement a budget,” Prof. Bliznashki recalled, but also underlined that:

“There is no doubt that this government should provide above all and mostly a good administration, responsive to the needs of society and the citizens in person. That was why the president gave his reasoned argumentation on its priorities and goals under several main directions: it has to bring stability within the major public systems and sectors of governing; to improve Bulgaria’s image within the EU and among our partners from NATO; to continue the work on key reforms. Despite its really limited resources after the refusal for update of the state budget by the previous parliament, we won’t remain senseless, regarding the problems and worries of our compatriots, hit by the natural disasters and we will do our best to help them. May we all show our national solidarity to these people, praying for nature to be more merciful!”

Furthermore:

“In the course of 405 days the Bulgarian citizens demonstrated their hard will and consequent determination to defend their personal dignity and democratic ideas, countering the arrogant attempts of the oligarchy to take over the country. It is a fact that they defended their sovereign right to be the source of state power and its moral judge. Now they need to take the next step by actively participating in the forthcoming campaign and vote freely on October 5. The power now returns to its sovereign. May we all, being responsible citizens, prove that we are a wise and proud people, which can determine and govern its own destiny!”, new Bulgarian Prime Minister, Professor Georgi Bliznashki further said.

English version: Zhivko Stanchev