After the fall of the Bulgarian government of Prime Minister Kyrill Petkov, a third and final attempt to form a new cabinet failed.
The leader of the Socialist Group (BSP), Georgi Svilenski, said in Sofia on Wednesday that the President's mandate to form a government would not be fulfilled.
Previous efforts by the Socialists to unite a parliamentary majority with the old coalition partners had failed.
Ten days ago, head of state Rumen Radev commissioned the socialists, who have been part of the government, to form a government.
According to the constitution, the president must now dissolve parliament and schedule new elections, probably in October.
It would be the fourth parliamentary election in Bulgaria since April 2021.
Prime Minister Petkov's four-party government has only been in office since December 2021.
She lost her parliamentary majority in June because the populist party ITN (“There Is Such a People”) led by entertainer Slavi Trifanov left the coalition.
A vote of no confidence in parliament overthrew Petkov's cabinet on June 22.
Petkov's party PP (“We will continue the change”) had promised “zero tolerance to corruption” and reforms.
Petkov will continue to run government affairs on an interim basis until President Radew appoints an interim government in view of the forthcoming elections.