Borissov no longer backs Ukraine security deal, expects incoming peace

Boyko Borissov, the former long-time Bulgarian prime minister and leader of the EPP-affiliated GERB party, no longer supports signing a bilateral security agreement with Ukraine after the caretaker asked parliament to decide on the issue.

Bulgaria’s current caretaker Prime Minister, Dimitar Glavchev, committed to joining an initiative involving over twenty countries and the EU in October, which includes a security agreement with Ukraine.

While Glavchev was reportedly expected to sign the deal with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy while the two were in Brussels on Thursday, the caretaker government refused and sought a mandate from parliament, where Borissov’s GERB has the most seats.

Only six of the 27 EU member states—Bulgaria, Hungary, Austria, Slovakia, Malta, and Cyprus—have not signed such an agreement.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, GERB has supported the provision of military assistance to Ukraine, and Borissov himself has often highlighted this support as evidence of his party's pro-Western stance.

But, according to Borissov, things have now changed.

"Six months ago, we would have categorically supported such an agreement," Borissov said, adding that such support today was tantamount to “buying a factory on 9 September”.

The correct popular expression is “buying a factory on 8 September,” which means making a very bad deal. On 9 September 1944, the Soviet army occupied Bulgaria, which did not bode well for factory owners.

Borissov explained that the reason was the increasing discussion in Europe and the United States about achieving peace in Ukraine.

He added that “we will work for a reconstruction or peace process” in Ukraine but stressed that it should be a regular government that “signs a treaty that is mutually beneficial.”

Borisov did not explain where he saw a lack of mutual benefit in the proposed agreement. Asked how a regular government, in which the socialist party BSP participates, could sign a military cooperation agreement with Ukraine, Borissov said, "If the agreement is mutually beneficial, no party will object.”

BSP is opposed to providing any military assistance to Ukraine. Despite its modest number of MPs (20 out of 240), the BSP could be an important coalition partner in a GERB-led government.

The GERB leader also said that the caretaker cabinet did not need a parliamentary mandate to sign the agreement with Ukraine.

Minutes after Borisov’s speech, caretaker Prime Minister Glavchev commented from Brussels, where he attends the European Council. He rejected accusations that his decision to seek a mandate from the National Assembly was an attempt to sabotage the government negotiations.

He said the only reason he sought MPs' approval was the proposed 10-year duration of the agreement.

Vessela Tcherneva, deputy director of ECFR and former advisor to former prime minister Kiril Petkov, told Euractiv that this development was “a present” for Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who is visiting Sofia on Friday.

Petkov is the leader of We Continue the Change, the second-largest force in parliament. Without this force, it is almost impossible to form a government. This formation strongly supports signing the security agreement with Ukraine and says that its signature can bypass a vote in parliament.

Political commentator Vesselin Stoynev wrote that Glavchev was acting on orders from Delyan Peevski,  who now heads the DPS party and faces US corruption sanctions,  who he said is trying to sabotage government formation talks.

Stoynev described Borissov’s attitude as “shameful”.

Indeed, the geopolitical rift that has opened between GERB and We Continue the Change threatens to undermine the chances of such a coalition.

(Georgi Gotev | Euractiv Bulgaria)