Vazrazhdane wants Bulgaria to become a semi-presidential republic, but that requires changes to the constitution, party MP Alexander Koychev, who was elected in Burgas, told BNR Burgas.

He was responding to a statement by Vazrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov that the party's voters in effect decided the election and picked the new president. On 27 October, two days after the first round, Kostadinov said the party would not give a single vote to Andrey Gyurov in the run-off. On 1 November, Iliana Yotova beat Gyurov in the second round.

What happened before: Kostadinov: Vazrazhdane will not give Gyurov a single vote in runoff

Koychev believes many people who voted for Vazrazhdane in the first round backed Yotova in the second, and that without them she would probably not have become president. "In my view, people did not vote for Ms Yotova, but against Mr Gyurov," the MP said.

Analysts and media describe Vazrazhdane as a pro-Russian, anti-European and anti-NATO party. Russia has been waging a full-scale war against Ukraine since February 2022. The EU and Bulgaria back Ukraine and sanctions against Moscow.

Koychev says the current constitution gives the president very limited powers and the job is mostly ceremonial. The party wants the head of state to have the right to propose laws in future. The MP pointed to France as an example, saying its model suits Bulgaria well. He added that the change is not easy and will have to wait.

Parliament will soon start debating the budget. Koychev says this will test the new president: whether she will dare to use a veto if there are problems and run her own policy, or will carry on the policy of "Progressive Bulgaria".