President Rumen Radev gave the start to consultations with the parliamentary parties and coalitions before handing over the mandate for forming a government to GERB-SDS, which won the elections. At the beginning of the meeting with the first political power, he focused on two questions - why Bulgarians did not come out en masse to vote and what are the chances of having a stable cabinet?

"It turns out that in practice there is no way to form a government," said GERB leader Boyko Borissov. He said that the largest parliamentary group will make efforts to form a cabinet, but after ITN's position that a government won’t be formed with the first or second mandate, this predetermines going to new elections.

GERB will propose a minority government in which the prime minister is from the party. "The voters of GERB do not want to see GERB winning but having Nikolay Denkov for PM or experts instead, as in this way GERB bears the responsibility, while someone else represent us," Boyko Borissov commented. He added that he sees no other option than forming a cabinet with the first mandate.

During the talks with the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, who are second in the elections, deputy party chair Yordan Tsonev said that it was most logical to support the mandate of the winner of the elections. He called on politicians to put aside their political and party egos so that the important problems society faces could be solved.

Yordan Tsonev also pointed out that the party relies on the role of the president in reaching a compromise between the political forces. "We need mediation and we hope that you will live up to this responsibility and convince the other parties," the MP said. According to him, early elections are a last resort, not a solution.

• PP-DB: There is no way we can interact with ITN, GERB and DPS

• ITN will not support first or second term governments

• Vazrazhdane: If no GERB cabinet is formed, the solution is either a cabinet with our mandate or elections

• The BSP will not support a government with the mandate of GERB and MRF, unification on the left begins

At today's final presidential consultation, the PP-DB reaffirmed its position that it will remain in opposition and will not engage in a policy of joining forces with GERB and DPS. "There is a growing number of parties that are ready to accept the third mandate to govern. President Rumen Radev asked the leaders of the PP-DB whether they would join an anti-GERB-DPS coalition with Vazrazhdane. Former Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov replied that GERB had been given a mandate six times in recent years (not counting the current one), but had never managed to form a government. The PP-DB, on the other hand, twice managed to form a regular government and paid a high price for it. According to him, this time the voters have given the coalition the role of opposition, and the first and second forces (GERB-SDS and MRF) must fulfil their duty to the state. Denkov stressed that for the PP-DB the priorities (pro-European orientation, development of the economy, reduction of inequalities) had not changed, but they did not see how they could implement them in the current political situation.