Tension in "Democratic Bulgaria" as "Green Movement" Faces Losing MPs

The smallest party in the "Democratic Bulgaria" coalition might be left without any MPs in the next National Assembly, according to sources from the "Green Movement" speaking to "Filter." Currently, they have three members of parliament: Daniela Bozhinova, Vasil Todev, and Vladislav Panev.

Within the larger "We Continue the Change" – "Democratic Bulgaria" (PP-DB) coalition, the process of arranging candidate lists for the upcoming snap elections has already begun. These discussions are informal and involve leaders Kiril Petkov, Asen Vasilev, Hristo Ivanov, and Atanas Atanasov. It has been decided that they will run in the same format for both the parliamentary and European elections. However, there will be no candidates from the "Green Movement" in electable positions on the Brussels list. Additionally, the coalition's support is expected to drop to around 10% in the national vote, meaning they could have 15 to 18 fewer MPs.

The unofficial list arrangement is happening behind closed doors, and the "Green Movement" is reportedly unaware of this, according to party sources. "Filter" has learned that only Vladislav Panev has secured an electable spot on the Sofia list. Panev was previously the leader of the smallest party but was replaced by Toma Belev and Daniela Bozhilova after internal party disputes. The new leadership of the "Green Movement" is seen as internal opposition within the PP-DB coalition and has even distanced itself from its colleagues on key parliamentary decisions. As a result, their candidates will likely be placed in non-electable positions on the lists, allowing more candidates from Kiril Petkov's and Hristo Ivanov's factions to enter parliament.

This exclusion has caused unrest within the "Green Movement," and there will soon be discussions about whether they should remain in the "Democratic Bulgaria" coalition. The environmentalist party has been part of the coalition since 2018, but there has never been an agreement between them and the other two parties—"Yes, Bulgaria" and DSB—on collective decision-making. This has often left the Greens learning last about which policies they would need to support. At one point, there was even discussion about the "Green Movement" leaving DB and joining PP, but the idea was abandoned due to Kiril Petkov's opposition.