The reactions that came from the three ruling parties on President Georgi Purvanov's speech for changes in the Bulgarian political system varied from positive to moderate. On January 27  Purvanov spoke for more than three hours on Bulgarian National Television introducing his view on the political system in the country and the place of the president in it. The event was organised by the Presidency and Bulgarian National Television, and marked the end of Purvanov's first year of his second consecutive five-year term in office.

Among Purvanov's ideas were the introduction of the principles of majority elections within a mixed electoral system, “which will minimise the possibilities for electoral abuses, the buying of votes and limit the influence of local populist parties, that we have all seen emerging at the municipal elections”. For the purpose three elements had to be introduced: direct election of candidates, preferential vote, and setting an electoral threshold.

The criteria for registering a political party should be changed as well he said. “Parties should have branches in at least two-thirds of municipalities in order to be registered and to avoid the existence of parties with unclear political goals”. “A new Political Parties Act could introduce drastic changes leading to transparency and order in party financing, a complete ban on donations from legal entities, placing donations from individuals under much stricter control, and increasing the state subsidies for the parties which meet the legal requirements”.

Purvanov said he was ready to propose to Parliament to hold a referendum on introducing a mixed electoral system “and if Parliament refuses to do so, I am ready to collect the needed signatures from people and organise one according to the law”. Referendums were another issue of Purvanov.
“The President should be given the right to hold a national referendum for which the constitution needs to be changed,”.Purvanov asked for another change in presidential powers. “The presidential veto should be overruled by a larger majority than the 50 per cent plus 1 vote required by the constitution”. Purvanov said he will not back the idea of compulsory voting, “because it could easily bring forth political freaks”.

On January 29 Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev and leader of the senior partner in the ruling coalition Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) called Purvanov's words “extremely useful”. At a session of BSP's executive bureau Stanishev said that “BSP's has always supported the idea for stronger majority element in the elections”. BSP was going to form a group and discuss changes in the electoral legislation. Stanishev said he was informed about Purvanov's ideas two days in advance by Purvanov himself, who is former leader of the BSP.

On January 30 Plamen Trifonov head of BSP unit in the town of Vidin on the Danube told Bulgarian-language Focus news agency that the president needed to have more powers than the ones provided in the constitution. “The President should have the power to hold a referendum without asking the Parliament,” Trifonov said. He also supported the idea for mixed electoral system “but we still need to have the proportional element,”.

On January 29 Stanimir Ilchev, spokesperson of the ruling partner National Movement for Stability and Progress (NMSP) told a news conference that NMSP welcomed Purvanov's idea for deep change of the electoral system but “we are more in favour of the preferential voting system as it happened at the MEP elections last year, rather than having a stronger majority element,”. NMSP disagreed with Purvanov on compulsory voting.”We will insist on holding a referendum on that,” Ilchev said.
“NMPS is against the idea of giving the president the right to call a referendum” Ilchev said

The official position of the third ruling party Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) was the most laconic one although the party nominally welcomed Purvanov's ideas.

“Purvanov started a debate on the changes in the electoral system but his ideas can not be qualified as a project or a solution,” Luytvi Mestan MRF MP told reporters on January 29. “Purvanov's desire for more active role in Bulgarian politics is completely understandable having in mind his unquestionable authority in the country.”