(3 Dec 2021) Bulgaria’s new parliament convened Friday for its first session following the country's third parliamentary election of the year.
Following inconclusive general elections in April and July, many hope that this parliament will deliver a government that can lead the European Union's poorest nation out of its health and economic crises.
Last month's snap poll elevated a newly formed anti-corruption party as the surprise winner to edge out the GERB party of three-time prime minister, Boyko Borissov.
Under the terms of the Bulgarian Constitution, the country's president will give the new "We Continue The Change" party led by two Harvard graduates the mandate to form a government.
Addressing the legislators, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev said that he will start consultations with the parliamentary groups on Monday about the formation of a new cabinet.
Radev, who last month was reelected for a second five-year term, said that a political consensus of the reformist forces is needed for a sustainable, reformist, social governance.
He added that the country's political system cannot withstand yet another early election in the middle of winter.
Radev, who has been a vocal critic of Borissov, also said that "dismantling the prosecutor's umbrella over corruption" was a priority for the country.
The co-leader of We Continue the Change, Kiril Petkov, said he was ready to assume the post of prime minister if he gets support from potential coalition partners.
Although his party won the most parliament seats last month with 67, it fell well short of the majority of the 240-seat chamber needed to form a government on its own.
Six other parties also won seats, including Borissov’s GERB, with 59.
The ethnic Turkish MRF party came in third with 34 seats, followed by the Socialist party with 26 seats.
The anti-elite There Is Such a People party secured 25 seats, the liberal anti-corruption group Democratic Bulgaria occupies 16 seats and the pro-Russian nationalist group Vazrazhdane has 13 legislators.
Ahead of the election, Petkov firmly rejected the prospect of forming a coalition government with GERB party or the MRF party due to lingering suspicions about their ties to corruption.
After talks were opened with three other groups that were part of last year's protests against Borissov's government, Petkov voiced optimism that a coalition cabinet could be formed before Christmas.
On Friday, the We Continue The Change party nominee for parliament speaker, Nikola Minchev, a 34 -year-old lawyer, was elected to the position in a 158-1 vote, with 78 abstentions.
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