President Rumen Radev handed the first exploratory mandate to GERB-SDS, but Rosen Zhelyazkov immediately returned it empty. Zhelyazkov stated that the party prefers early elections and indicated March 29 as a suitable date. Radev emphasized the importance of a fair electoral process.
After handing over the mandate to GERB-SDS, Zhelyazkov said: "The parliamentary group of GERB-SDS decided that I should come today in fulfillment of the mandates of the Constitution and, as the candidate for prime minister appointed by the parliamentary group, to receive the first exploratory mandate. We do not consider this as a political retreat, but we consider it within the framework of the spirit of democratic traditions, which we have been following for the last three decades, namely sustainable development of Bulgaria and avoiding any division in society... So we believe that March 29 is a good date for holding the elections, which is why I allowed myself to return the exploratory mandate as unsuccessful today."