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Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov – after his resignation it was not possible to form a new government

Photo: Geert Vanden Wijngaert / dpa / AP

In Bulgaria, the populist party “There is such a people” (ITN) rejected the attempt to form a new government, paving the way for early elections. The move came after the center-right Gerb party and its former coalition partner We Continuing Change said they would not be able to form a new government.

"Elections are the highest form of democracy," said Iwaylo Walchew, the vice-chairman of the ITN parliamentary group, at a meeting with President Ruben Radev. The mandate to form a government is not being fulfilled. Radev said he would now begin the search for a caretaker prime minister. This should form a cabinet that is tasked with organizing an early parliamentary election.

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Bulgaria is the poorest member of the European Union and one of its most corrupt states. The country has been rocked by political instability since the anti-corruption protests in 2020. It was ruled by caretaker governments until the April 2023 election. Earlier this month, Foreign Minister Mariya Gabriel of the center-right Gerb party failed to form a government after Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov of the pro-Western We Continue Change movement resigned on March 5.

Denkow resigned to allow Gerb to lead the government for nine months, as agreed after last year's election. On Wednesday he rejected Radev's invitation to try to form a government.

Gerb came first in the election last April, winning 69 seats in the 240-seat parliament. The bloc led by “We continue the change” won 64 seats. According to the constitution, parliament does not have to dissolve before early elections.

mfh/Reuters