Save Sofia Party Splits from Mayor Terziev’s Coalition
Table of Contents
- Save Sofia Party Splits from Mayor Terziev’s Coalition
- Save Sofia Party Withdraws Support from Mayor Vasil Terziev, Citing Broken Agreements
- Bonev Announces Departure, Promises Constructive Opposition
- Key Issues: Broken Promises and lack of Transparency
- The Chief Architect Controversy
- Resignation and Reactions
- Bonev’s Accusations: A “Replacement” Instead of Change
- Transparency Concerns and the Cleaning Contracts
- Unfulfilled Promises and Future Actions
SOFIA — May 9, 2024 — In a move that will reshape the balance of power in Sofia, the Save Sofia party has withdrawn its support from Mayor Vasil Terziev‘s coalition, citing broken agreements and a lack of progress on key reforms. The party’s decision, announced by leader Boris Bonev, comes after months of escalating tensions and signals a significant shift in the city’s political landscape concerning the future of Sofia.With this split, the opposition promises constructive criticisms and to hold the PP-DB administration accountable.
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Save Sofia Party Withdraws Support from Mayor Vasil Terziev, Citing Broken Agreements
Sofia, Bulgaria – The save Sofia party has officially left the coalition surrounding sofia Mayor Vasil Terziev, withdrawing its support and forming an independent group within the Sofia city Council. This move follows months of strained relations and accusations of unfulfilled promises [3]. The party, a key component of the “United for Sofia” coalition that propelled Terziev to victory in the 2023 local elections, now alleges violations of the coalition agreement and a lack of meaningful reforms.
Bonev Announces Departure, Promises Constructive Opposition
Boris Bonev, leader of Save Sofia, announced the party’s decision, stating it was made by the party’s governing bodies. He pledged that Save Sofia would adopt a stance of constructive opposition toward the PP-DB (We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria) administration and Mayor Terziev. The formation will be a constructive opposition to the management of PP-DB and Vasil Terziev will not be silent for irregularities, but will support good ideas,
Bonev said [3].
Did You Know?
Coalition governments are common in Bulgaria, often requiring parties to compromise on thier platforms to achieve a working majority. The departure of Save Sofia could significantly impact the stability of Mayor Terziev’s administration.
Key Issues: Broken Promises and lack of Transparency
The split stems from a range of grievances, including alleged violations of the coalition agreement, a perceived lack of vision and priorities, and a failure to revise the management style of the previous GERB administration. Bonev also criticized what he described as a parallel structure with hidden centers of power
operating around the mayor’s advisors [3].
- Violation of Coalition Agreement: Save Sofia claims key promises made during the election have not been honored.
- Lack of reforms: The party alleges that promised reforms have not materialized.
- Parallel Structures: Bonev asserts that decisions are being influenced by unofficial advisors and consultants.
- Unrevised GERB Management: Save Sofia contends that the Terziev administration has failed to break from the practices of the previous goverment.
The Chief Architect Controversy
A major point of contention was the appointment of the capital’s chief architect. Save Sofia viewed the selection of Arch. Bogdana Panayotova, as a critical misstep. They described her selection as a sentence for Sofia,
and the competition as a settled match.
This decision was reportedly the drop, overflowing the glass
that led to Save sofia’s departure [3].
Resignation and Reactions
In conjunction with leaving the coalition,Ilian Pavlov,Save Sofia’s deputy mayor responsible for transport,has resigned. As of now,there has been no official response from Mayor Terziev or the PP-DB [3]. Save Sofia maintains they informed their coalition partners before making their decision public.
Bonev’s Accusations: A “Replacement” Instead of Change
Bonev didn’t mince words when describing the situation. Vasil Terziev’s team did not understand that he did not win these elections as a seperate unit,
he stated, adding that the mayor was eroding the coalition agreement and that promised reforms never began [3]. He further elaborated on the issue of parallel structures:
many key decisions are made by informal and unclear structures.
Boris Bonev, Leader of Save Sofia
Bonev specifically named Adriana Popova, alleging she cars and demons in the municipality.
Popova, who previously served as Secretary General and later as an advisor to Terziev, was also part of Terziev’s election headquarters and a former Deputy Minister of Electronic Government [3].
A repetition of a model we have been fighting for for 15 years. People were expecting a change and received a replacement.
Boris Bonev, Leader of Save Sofia
Transparency Concerns and the Cleaning Contracts
A significant concern for Save Sofia is the lack of transparency surrounding the upcoming public procurement for Sofia’s cleaning services, a contract worth hundreds of millions of levs. Save Sofia had previously identified this procurement as a critical indicator of whether they would remain in the governing coalition. Despite claims from Terziev’s administration that the procurement is ready, it has not been announced [3].
Bonev expressed concerns about potential corruption, stating:
We do not know what is in the new cleaning contracts. The rumors that are worn, and the experience shows that if there are rumors in the municipality, then they turn out to be true, is that Taki will take up the garbage in Sofia. I know that in the face of Democratic Bulgaria, we have an ally against this, but we cannot guarantee that it will not become, as it will not become transparency.
Boris Bonev, Leader of Save Sofia
Unfulfilled Promises and Future Actions
Bonev also highlighted the failure to implement promised changes to
