Bulgaria’s center-right party, GERB, announced that it has reached an agreement with We Continue Change – Democratic Bulgaria to form the new Government.
2017-2019 EU Commissioner for digital economy and society , 2009-2017 MEP
Mariya Gabriel
GERB’s nominee for prime minister, Maryia Gabriel, and the leader of the We Continue Change party, Nikolay Denkov, have agreed to both hold the position of prime minister through a rotation every nine months, Gabriel announced during a media conference. on May 22.
GERB won the April 2 elections, which were the fifth parliamentary elections held in Bulgaria in the last two years. This party secured 26.5 percent of the votes, or 69 seats in the Parliament. The party We Continue Change – Democratic Bulgaria came second with 24.5 percent of the vote, winning 64 mandates. Both of these parties have 133 seats in Parliament, creating a majority in Parliament of 240 seats.
According to the agreement, the governing coalition will have a pro-European Union agenda, membership in the Schengen Area and the adaptation of the euro currency among the main priorities. Also, the priority has been set to combat Russian influence in Bulgaria’s security sector.
Bulgaria has been largely led by a caretaker government appointed by President Rumen Radev since protests erupted in 2020 amid public anger at corruption in the country. In February, Radev dissolved Parliament and announced elections for April 2.
Last June, the pro-Western government of Prime Minister Kiril Petkov was ousted after a no-confidence motion in Parliament. Petkov led the Bulgarian executive for six months.
The political crisis has forced Bulgaria to postpone the adoption of the euro until 2025. In December, Austria and the Netherlands blocked the process for Bulgaria and Romania to be admitted to the passport-free movement area, Schengen. /REL
Check also: Greek election 2023: Centre-right Mitsotakis celebrates significant victory, but seeks majority