The coalition government Bulgarialed by pro-European Kirill Petkovlost this Wednesday in the Sofia parliament a no-confidence vote submitted by the conservative populist opposition, for which the Balkan country faces possible new elections, the fourth in less than 18 months.
A total of 116 deputies supported. Executive outnumbered Petkov, prime minister for just six months, with 123 people voting against the government and one not showing up for the vote.
This new political crisis in Bulgaria originates in the departure a few weeks ago of the head of the anti-systemic populist party ITN, a popular singer Glory Trifonov.
The movement has received support from the main opposition party, the populist-conservative GERB, the Turkish ethnic DPS party, the pro-Russian ultra-nationalists Vazrazhdane and ITN, although it has six parliamentarians in its ranks who are members of the government.
Prospects for the Crisis in Bulgaria
Petkov, who won the November elections at the head of the We Continue to Change (PP) party, led a coalition with the Socialists, heirs of the Communist Party, and the Euro-Atlantic protest group Democratic Bulgaria.
The fourth partner was the organization There Are Such People (ITN), led by Trifonov, who on June 8 decided to withdraw his four ministers from the government after accusing Petkov of misusing public money and wanting to lift the Bulgarian veto at the start of negotiations. accession to the EU of neighboring North Macedonia.
Since 2020, Sofia has been arguing with Skopje about the common past of both countries and demands additional guarantees for the rights of ethnic Bulgarians in this country.
In addition, he demands that the neighboring country drop offensive historical disclaimers that it considers “hate speech”, such as inscriptions on monuments and a term in school textbooks, such as “fascist occupier” during World War II, when Bulgaria was an ally. . Nazi Germany.
With the fall of the Petkov government today, it is out of the question that Bulgaria will lift the veto against North Macedonia in the coming days, as is expected in Skopje.
With the departure of Trifonov’s party, Petkov’s coalition won only 109 seats in parliament, far from a majority of 121 of the 240 seats in the chamber.
After he left the government, six ITN deputies declared themselves independent but backed Petkov, the US-educated economist who entered politics last year and won the November elections, promising to fight corruption and organized crime.
The new balance of power gave its first result last Thursday, when, at the request of the ITN, parliamentary speaker Nikola Minchev (PP) was fired by an opposition majority of 125 votes.
Minchev himself called the vote a “dress rehearsal” for today’s vote of no confidence.
What lies ahead for the Bulgarian country?
After the fall of executive power, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev will have to commission the formation of a new government to the NP, which will have seven days to find a parliamentary majority.
If Petkov does not survive—which is likely, according to local analysts—GERB will be tasked with forming the executive branch.
If the conservative populists of former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov fail to find a parliamentary majority or some other formation, the parliament will be dissolved and general elections scheduled for the fall.
“It was an honor for me to be at the head of the government that was overthrown by Slavi Trifonov, Boyko Borisov, Delyan Peevsky and Mrs. Mitrofanova (Russian Ambassador in Moscow),” Petkov said after voting from the parliamentary rostrum. .
Peevski, a controversial billionaire businessman with a dubious reputation, is one of the leaders of the DPS party.
“This vote is a small step on a long road. They (the four mentioned) will not be able to defeat the Bulgarian people in this way. I promise to continue the fight until Bulgaria becomes a normal European state, without figureheads and mafia,” Petkov added.
“This general opposition vote is not natural, but today the coalition of corruption and the coalition of external interference have united and created a coalition of dark forces,” he concluded.
While the vote against the government was taking place in parliament, about 10,000 Petkov supporters gathered in front of the chamber to express their support for the executive branch.
(As reported by EFE)
Source: RPP
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