Bulgarian parliament backs news coalition gov’t
SOFIA
Bulgaria's parliament on Thursday voted to approve a conservatives-led coalition government, formed in a bid to end the EU nation's prolonged political crisis.
In its worst political turmoil since the end of communism, the poor Balkan country has seen seven snap votes after massive anti-graft protests led three-time premier Boyko Borisov to resign in 2021.
Borisov's conservative GERB party topped the most recent election in October, and on Jan. 15 announced it had managed to agree with the Socialists and a populist party to form government, with the backing of a Turkish minority faction.
A total of 125 lawmakers voted in favor of the new government lineup, while 114 voted against it.
GERB secured the agreement after Borisov, 65, gave up his initial insistence to take up the premiership for a fourth time and instead designated former parliament speaker Rossen Jeliazkov as premier.
Introducing his cabinet, Jeliazkov told parliament that the different parties reached the coalition agreement "in a difficult, dynamic and tense period... putting aside our ideological and political differences."
"The country has been in a political crisis for some time, a crisis of confidence," the 56-year-old lawyer added, vowing to overcome it.
Analysts say they are doubtful whether the coalition can last.
"It will be a difficult government, in practice this is a four-party coalition, it can't be easy but it's better than going from one election to another," political analyst Daniel Smilov from the Centre for Liberal Strategies told AFP.
