After the fall of the government of Bulgarian Prime Minister Kirill Petkov, the third and last attempt to form a new government failed. The leader of the Socialist Group (BSP), Georgi Svilensky, said in Sofia today that the president’s mandate to form a government would not be fulfilled. Previous efforts by the Socialists to unite the parliamentary majority with the old coalition partners failed.
Ten days ago, the head of state, Romain Radio Socialists, who had previously been part of the government, commissioned the formation of the government. According to the constitution, the president must now dissolve parliament and schedule new elections, possibly in October. This will be the fourth parliamentary election in the poorest country in the European Union since April 2021.
A four-party government in power since December
Prime Minister Kirill Petkov’s four-party government has only been in operation since December 2021. It lost its parliamentary majority in June after the populist ITN left the coalition. A vote of no-confidence in Parliament overthrew the Petkov government on June 22.
Petkov’s PP (“We Continue to Change”) promised “zero tolerance for corruption” and reforms. Petkov will continue to run government affairs on a temporary basis until President Radev appoints an interim government in light of the upcoming elections.
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