Following the resignation of the cabinet led by Boyko Borissov Bulgaria is in a situation in which the prerogatives of the incumbent president Rosen Plevneliev in forming a new administration are limited and President-elect Rumen Radev has got none of these prerogatives for the simple reason that he has not stepped in office yet.

Under these unusual circumstances President Plevneliev has opted for coordinated action with his successor and his approach has been disputed by neither the Bulgarian Socialist Party that has supported the election of the new head of state, nor by Gerb. Emerging from consultations with President Plevneliev on Thursday, outgoing PM Boyko Borissov even advised Plevneliev and Radev to appoint the caretaker cabinet together so as to avoid a series of cabinets – first a caretaker cabinet formed by the incumbent president, then a caretaker one appointed by the new president and finally, a regular administration after possible snap parliamentary elections.

Some joint actions of the outgoing president and the president-elect have already been coordinated. Though he is not obliged by the Constitution to do so, immediately after the second round of the presidential elections Rosen Plevneliev agreed with Rumen Radev that the line-up of the new government should be determined after consultations between them. According to unofficial sources, Rumen Radev wants to name the prime minister and the minister of interior and has explained that BSP which supported him for the elections would not object this option.

After completing political consultations with the parliamentary groups regarding the formula of the new government, President Plevneliev is going to call an extraordinary Advisory Council on National Security. At it, he together with President-elect Rumen Radev, the outgoing government and the parties from the outgoing parliament will be discussing urgent issues about the transition of power and only then the president is going to launch a procedure of giving mandates to form a government within this parliament.

In the context of a political crisis joint efforts to deal with the difficult situation have a strong encouraging impact. The interaction between Rosen Plevneliev and Rumen Radev is an example of unprecedented continuity between the outgoing head of state and the president-elect. Public support for such conduct is strong. It is quite logical not only because this conduct complies with the national interest but also because the new head of state has been supported by both opposition-minded voters and adherents of political parties which are part of the outgoing administration. The involvement of the president-elect in looking for a way out of the deadlock strengthens a priori his mission to act as a unifier of the nation.