“The Bulgarian Socialist Party should fulfil the mandate (for the formation of a government – editorial note) in accordance with the Constitution and the interpretative ruling of the Constitutional Court,” President Rumen Radev stated, laconically, in answer to a reporter’s question regarding last night’s video address by the leader of There Is Such a People Slavi Trifonov in which he stated he was withdrawing his party from the negotiations on the formation of a new cabinet, and the intention of BSP leader Kornelia Ninova to hold onto the third exploratory mandate until around mid-August, so as to give parliament time to approve important bills and decisions.

• There Is Such a People walks out of negotiations to form government
  
• Bulgarian Socialist Party to hold onto cabinet-forming mandate until at least mid-August
  

Under the Constitutional Court’s interpretative ruling from 1992, cited by President Radev, the third mandate-holder has two weeks to fulfil the mandate – during the first it must nominate a candidate for prime minister, and during the second - present the composition of the prospective cabinet.

The Bulgarian head of state took part in a commemorative ceremony, marking 80 years since the execution of prominent Bulgarian poet Nikola Vaptsarov. “It should be clear that anti-fascism is an important element of the sacred past of Bulgaria, and that anyone who denies it is opening the door to more historical divisions and tragedies,” Rumen Radev said.