“For personal reasons, the candidate for Minister of Justice Momtchil Ivanov has withdrawn,” Plamen Nikolov, nominated by ITN for prime minister announced at a press conference in parliament.  

“His dignity prevents him from going on after everything he went through, all the statements and press publications,” Plamen Nikolov explained.

The withdrawal comes mere hours before ITN party will hand the government-forming mandate to President Rumen Radev, fulfilled or not.  

“Democratic Bulgaria” co-chairman Hristo Ivanov commented that the withdrawal changes nothing and that “the very fact that such a candidate was possible in the first place continues to be a fact.”