Bulgaria's largest parliamentary party, the center-right GERB-SDS, refused on Monday a presidential mandate to try to form a new government, raising the possibility of early elections in the country, which is the European Union's poorest member.
Rosen Zelyaskov's coalition government, supported by GERB-SDS, resigned last month after weeks of protests against state corruption and a new budget that would have raised some taxes.
As stipulated by the Bulgarian constitution, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev officially asked Zhelyaskov today to try to form a new coalition, the Bulgarian news agency BTA reported. However, Zhelyaskov immediately returned the mandate, according to the BTA, as he does not have sufficient support in parliament to form a stable majority.
Radev is now expected to offer the second largest formation, the reformist PP-DB, a chance to govern, but it is also likely to reject the offer. Radev will then give the mandate to a party of his choice and, if no formation can secure a parliamentary majority, dissolve parliament and call elections, Bulgaria's eighth in just four years.
Despite this uncertainty, Bulgaria joined the euro on January 1 as planned. But it needs political stability to more quickly get EU funds for its infrastructure, encourage foreign investment and eliminate endemic state corruption, Reuters points out.
The GERB-SDS coalition won the last elections in October 2024, but only took power in January 2025, after months of talks, while needing the support of other parties in parliament.
Source: protothema.gr
