Bulgarian president calls Nov 14 snap election

September 15, 2021

SOFIA (Reuters) -President Rumen Radev has called Bulgaria’s third parliamentary election this year for Nov. 14 after inconclusive polls in April and July failed to produce a government, the president’s media office said on Wednesday.

Radev, who is running for re-election in a presidential vote which will be held on the same date, will dissolve parliament and appoint a new caretaker government on Sept. 16.

Popular anger against widespread corruption in the European Union’s poorest member state has put an end to almost a decade of political dominance by former centre-right premier Boyko Borissov. But wrangling and rivalry among his opponents in the fractured parliaments after the elections in April and July prevented them from building a majority for a government.

Radev is largely expected to re-appoint on Thursday most of the interim ministers who took office in May.

He has declined to name the members of the new interim administration, which he will present on Thursday, but has said that the key objective – to rebuild the trust of Bulgarians in state institutions – would remain unchanged.

Earlier on Wednesday interim premier Stefan Yanev said he expected to keep his post.

The interim government has become popular with many for revealing that the previous centre-right cabinet of long-serving Boyko Borissov had spent billions of taxpayer money on infrastructure projects without proper procurement, among other shortcomings.

Two of the most popular interim ministers, Economy Minister Kiril Petkov and Finance Minister Assen Vassilev, however are likely to stay out of the new Cabinet, as the two are expected to launch their own political faction.

Radev has expressed hope that November poll would end the political crisis in the country and a regular government will be formed to lead Bulgaria through the coronavirus pandemic and ensure the efficient use of hefty EU recovery funds.

(Reporting by Tsvetelia Tsolova; Editing by Jon Boyle and Angus MacSwan)

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