Bulgaria to hold July election after coalition talks fail

Sofia: Bulgaria is likely to hold another election on July 11 after the largest three parties in parliament gave up on attempts to form a coalition government.

President Rumen Radev said Wednesday that he expects a new electoral commission to be appointed by May 11, when he would dissolve parliament, appoint a caretaker government and call a new election.

A general election in April produced a fragmented parliament, an expression of widespread desire for change after months of protests against three-time Prime Minister Boyko Borissov and his centre-right GERB party.

The political groups that emerged from the protests, however, failed to cobble together a working majority.

The latest opinion polls suggest the July election could have a similar outcome, which would add to the woes of the European Union’s poorest member country.

Political analysts have said that political instability could hinder Bulgaria’s ability to effectively tap the EU’s COVID-19 recovery fund and disrupt its path toward adopting the euro currency in 2024.