The candidate for Bulgarian Prime Minister of the "Changes Continue - Democratic Bulgaria" (PP-DB) coalition, Academician Nikolay Denkov, today returned to President Rumen Radev the second exploratory mandate to form a government.

Together with Denkov, the co-chairmen of the coalition came to "Dondukov" 2 - Kiril Petkov, Atanas Atanasov, Hristo Ivanov, Vladislav Panev. Maria Gabriel, who according to the agreement between PP-DB and GERB-SDS, will have to take over the post of prime minister in nine months, did not come to the presidential institution.

During the return of the mandate, the president and the candidate for prime minister did not shake hands.

- I think we all need to calm the situation so that people know that the cabinet, the National Assembly and the presidential institution work together so that the country can develop for the benefit of people and business, said academician Denkov when returning the folder with the research mandate.

"What we expect from you is to pass a decree for a new government, for it to be voted on in the National Assembly, and if we gather a majority, then we will smoothly transfer power as required by the Constitution," said the candidate for prime minister.

- As soon as possible, I will issue a decree to submit your proposal to the National Assembly, where it will be voted on by the people's elected representatives, said the head of state Rumen Radev, after accepting the returned mandate.

"Bulgaria needs institutions and politicians who will actually be led by the Bulgarian people, who work for security, justice and against corruption, as expected by all respectable Bulgarian citizens. To strengthen the sovereignty of the state and to work on deepening our European integrations", said the head of the Bulgarian state.

In a comment to the media, after returning to the mandate, Academician Denkov emphasizes that it is necessary to make a "normal budget, without this absurd deficit and to reflect the current situation" as soon as possible.

The budget must be done professionally - it is not a question of political will that now it is three percent, in two days it will be six or four percent, Denkov said and added that the Minister of Finance should assume his role, collect all the necessary information , so that everyone has a clear picture.

Denkov expressed hope that the head of state Rumen Radev will issue a decree today or tomorrow morning and that the cabinet proposal will be voted on.

According to Denkov, it is very important for the "old" and "new" ministers to sit together and tell each other what the priorities are and where there are problems.

- This is a normal process of handing over power, he believes.

The President of the National Assembly Rosen Zhelyazkov said

that tomorrow he will convene a session of the National Assembly if the president passes the decree.

- If the president passes a decree today, I will call a meeting tomorrow, Zhelyazkov told reporters in the corridors of the parliament.

"The procedure is known - the candidate for prime minister presents himself, and he presents the candidates for ministers and the structure of the cabinet," Zheljazkov said.

According to him, the candidate for prime minister can give a political address and declaration or present the leadership's priorities, after which there is an opportunity for debate and votes are taken - for the prime minister, for the structure of the cabinet and for the personnel composition.