EditBorissov threatens triggering government collapse on the eve of Bulgaria’s euro adoption
GERB’s poor local election performance and rising tensions with Peevski’s MRF put the country’s political future in question
Bulgaria risks entering the eurozone on 1 January without a regular government, following disastrous election results for Boyko Borissov’s GERB party last Sunday in extraordinary elections for the municipal council in Pazardzhik.
A furious Borissov announced оn Tuesday evening (14 October) that his party would only provide “formal” support for the government and would no longer actively secure parliamentary majority – a move that could push the country towards fresh general elections.
The decision followed GERB’s surprisingly poor performance in local elections in the regional city of Pazardzhik, where the once-dominant party ranked sixth with just 6.8% of the vote.
The elections were won by the Movement for Rights and Freedoms – New Beginning, led by businessman and MP Delyan Peevski, who has been sanctioned for corruption by both the US and the UK. Peevski’s party currently backs the government formed under GERB’s political mandate.
GERB is the senior coalition partner in a minority coalition supported by Peevski, whose party is not a formal coalition member, although he appears as the strongman in the country, overshadowing Borissov, a long-serving former prime minister.
Observers attribute the result to widespread electoral violations, including large scale vote buying and coercion, which boosted Peevski’s party in Pazardzhik from 3% three years ago to 17.4%. The police, under the interior ministry controlled by GERB, reportedly failed to act on numerous citizen reports of fraud and criminal activity in the villages surrounding the city.
Just a year ago, Peevski took control of the traditionally ethnic Turkish party MRF, aided by pressure from the prosecution, the courts and the anti-corruption commission – institutions he is widely believed to influence informally.
Peevski Über Alles: Bulgaria’s descent into political turmoil
Now, political analysts and opposition figures warn that Borissov’s GERB could be next in line to be overtaken. The long-serving Bulgarian politician, whose force is affiliated to the European People’s Party (EPP), admitted on Tuesday that his party’s very survival was now at stake.
Borissov, however, said that for now GERB would not bring down the government, giving himself time to decide how to handle Peevski.
“Do you see any point in staying in such a government? I gave my word to stay. But if we do, it will only be formal. We won’t be securing quorum in parliament anymore,” Borissov said in an angry monologue before Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, Deputy PM Tomislav Donchev and GERB MPs.
Shortly afterwards, Prime Minister Zhelyazkov – to whom Borissov said he was “untying his hands” – cancelled the cabinet meeting scheduled for Wednesday.
Borissov declared that Bulgaria’s governance must be “reformatted”, without directly naming Peevski.
“If we start sinking, everything else will sink with us.”
Peevski immediately responded that he was ready to officially join the government – a step Borissov signalled he would not support.
“The red light has flashed. What awaits us if we don’t quickly get out of this (government)? Either the government starts working as one for the Bulgarian people’s interests, or in three or four days without a quorum it will collapse,” Borissov warned.
His message was directed at smaller coalition partners – the pro-Russian Socialists (BSP) and the populist There Is Such a People – both of whom have little to gain from early elections, as they risk falling short of parliamentary representation. Borissov hopes to lure them away from Peevski’s orbit with the warning that they could be politically destroyed alongside him.
“If we start sinking, everything else will sink with us. That’s the situation,” Borissov summed up.
Meanwhile, opinion polls still place GERB as Bulgaria’s leading political force with around 27% support, though such surveys have limited credibility in the country’s volatile political environment. Before Peevski seized control of the MRF, its founder Ahmed Dogan appeared unshakable, with the party even securing a historic second place in national elections. But under pressure from law enforcement, the MRF quickly fragmented and fell under Peevski’s control at the end of 2024.
Borissov has several possible paths to counter Peevski’s growing influence – including building a bridge to the pro-European We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria coalition, which had previously offered him a chance to isolate the sanctioned MRF leader. Borissov, however, declined and chose to form a government dependent on Peevski’s backing.
Another option could be to seek cooperation with President Rumen Radev, who is expected to form his own party once his term expires. Accoring to opinion polls, Radev, who has often taken pro-Russian positions, is the most popular politician in Bulgaria.
If the Bulgarian government collapses in the coming month and parliament fails to secure a majority, the country is likely to enter the eurozone under a caretaker administration – a recipe for economic destabilisation right at the moment of adopting the euro.
Caption: Videograb from Boyko Borissov’s address on his personal Facebook page. Behind him at the table, L-R, are Deputy PM Tomislav Donchev and Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov.
Updated: October 15, 2025 - 05:49
