After the fall of the Bulgarian minority government of Rosen Željazkov, President Rumen Radev begins consultations with the parliamentary parties on the next course of action. The situation is exacerbated by the proposal of the pro-Russian Vazraždan party for a one-year postponement of the adoption of the euro, which the country is supposed to introduce already on January 1.
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev’s consultations with parliamentary parties after the fall of the government on Friday will be marked by a draft resolution on a one-year postponement of Bulgaria’s entry into the eurozone. The Vazraždane party announced it on Friday. TASR writes about it according to the AP agency.
- The Bulgarian president consults with political parties about the fall of the government.
- The Vazraždane party proposes postponing Bulgaria’s entry into the eurozone.
- Inflation fears are dampening enthusiasm for joining the eurozone.
- The new government will depend on the outcome of parliamentary negotiations.
The minority government of Rosen Željazkov failed to survive a seventh no-confidence vote on Friday, fueled by widespread street protests on Thursday. The pro-Russian ultra-nationalist party Vazraždane (Renovation) in the draft resolution pointed to the absence of a new budget and political instability in an attempt to block the country’s path to the euro.
Entry into the Eurozone
Bulgaria will become a new member of the eurozone on January 1, and the chances of the opposition’s resolution being approved by the parliament are slim. Such proposals increase domestic political tension ahead of possible elections if a new government cannot be formed. Enthusiasm for the euro has been dampened by fears about inflation, allegedly fueled by Moscow’s disinformation campaign. Bulgaria joined the European Union in 2007.
Analysts expect that President Radev will establish a new party before the next parliamentary elections. The left-leaning Radev criticized the pro-Western government’s support for Ukraine.
The bickering of the main pro-Western parties
“In Bulgaria, the political forces that can stop the Kremlin’s plan to take over our country are divided by another serious issue in domestic politics,” said political analyst Ognyan Minchev, referring to the bickering of the main pro-Western parties.
The Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party, as the largest political entity in the parliament, will receive the mandate to form a new government. Its chairman Bojko Borisov announced that he plans to reject this option. After that, the mandate to form the government will be given to the second largest party, and in case of failure, Radev can approach any party. If the third attempt fails, he must appoint an interim government, dissolve parliament and call early elections, usually within two months.
