The Bulgarian parliament has approved a new government in yet another attempt. Rosen Zhelyazkov became Prime Minister.
This is reported by Novinite.
A total of 239 peopleʼs deputies voted, 125 peopleʼs deputies voted for, 114 against. Immediately after the vote, the new government was sworn in.
The parties "Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria" and "Union of Democratic Forces" (GERB — SDS), the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP), "There is a People" (ITN) reached an agreement. At the same time, the "Democracy, Rights and Freedoms" party supported the government without nominating its candidates for ministerial positions.
The government will consist of 19 ministers. 11 positions are allocated to the Union of Democratic Forces, 4 each to the Bulgarian Socialist Party and There Is a People.
Political crisis in Bulgaria
Bulgaria has been in a political crisis. Political factions have been unable to form a stable governing coalition. It all began in 2020, when protests against bribery helped break up the coalition led by the center-right Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria (CEDB). Bulgaria held parliamentary elections in April, July, and November 2021, as well as in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
In early June 2023, the two largest groups in the Bulgarian parliament, "Continuing Changes — Democratic Bulgaria" and "Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria," signed an agreement with the "Union of Democratic Forces." The then Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov and Deputy Prime Minister Mariya Gabriel were to rotate the positions of Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister for nine months.
In March 2024, Denkov and his government resigned. However, Gabriel withdrew her candidacy for the post of Prime Minister after lengthy negotiations between GERB and the alliance "Continuing Changes — Democratic Bulgaria". Gabriel explained her actions by the "coordinated refusal" of 11 ministers to participate in her proposed government and the "lack of agreement in further negotiations".
During this time, seven early elections were held in the country.
The new government was not approved immediately. First, at a meeting in December last year, the negotiating teams of the parties failed to reach an agreement on the composition of the new government and the candidate for prime minister. There was a threat of the eighth early election in the past four years.
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