Kiril Petkov, co-chairman of "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB), announced to bTV that the coalition would return their exploratory mandate empty-handed, hours before its scheduled handover at the presidency.

Petkov's statement came amidst heightened tensions as the coalition's efforts to salvage negotiations with GERB collapsed. Despite WCC-DB's proposal for GERB to nominate a prime minister for a second term in line with their agreement, GERB's refusal signaled an impasse.

"We made a final attempt to uphold our agreement and prevent chaos in the country, but it was rejected by GERB," Petkov lamented.

Atanas Atanasov, co-leader of WCC-DB, echoed Petkov's sentiments in an interview with BNT, squarely attributing the responsibility for the impending early elections to GERB.

"Mr. Borissov was absent from negotiations, and GERB colleagues were fixated on government personnel rather than focusing on the broader agreement," Atanasov revealed. He emphasized that despite their efforts to prioritize consensus on governance, negotiations faltered, leading to the current deadlock.

Atanasov further disclosed concerns over alleged intimidation tactics, citing the development of military intelligence against him as a form of coercion. This revelation underscores the high stakes and intense political maneuvering characterizing the coalition's breakdown.

The second mandate is scheduled to be returned today at 15:00 at the Presidency. Most likely, it will be followed by failed third and fourth mandates. New elections loom on the horizon. How did we get here?

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