"I congratulate those people who are really brave. The mafia has just lost its coalition partner." This was what Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov said at a special press conference of "We Continue the Change" on the occasion of the decision of MPs from former coalition member ITN to leave the party of TV host Slavi Trifonov. The adoption of the Law on the Commission for Combating Corruption, laws related to judicial reforms and the European Prosecutor had been delayed for months because of members of the ITN, the PM said.

"This government must fight the mafia and this battle depends on enough support in parliament. If there is no support, we must go to the polls. We believe that there are people in this National Assembly who can show they have no external masters and have the courage to stand on the side of the Bulgarian people," Deputy PM Assen Vassilev said.