Bulgaria is set to hold its seventh parliamentary election in three years after three political parties failed to form a coalition government due to lack of support. President Rumen Radev appointed the small populist ITN party to form a new government, but they could not secure enough backing from lawmakers. Radev must now appoint a caretaker prime minister and call for new elections.
The revolving-door governments in Bulgaria began after anti-corruption protests in 2020 led to the downfall of the centre-right populist GERB party-led coalition. Radev emphasized the need for a meaningful political debate and fair play to avoid repeating pointless procedures. Bulgaria, the EU’s poorest member state, requires stable governance to access EU funds for infrastructure development.
The previous elections in June resulted in GERB winning the most seats, followed by the reformist We Continue the Change party. Both parties failed to form a stable coalition, leading to the current political impasse. The country’s political instability has been a concern, with hopes for a lasting government to address corruption and improve the nation’s overall governance.
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