Today, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev handed the mandate to Rosen Zhelyazkov, who was nominated by GERB- SDS as prime minister, a BGNES reporter reported.
Rosen Zhelyazkov presented a government with three deputy prime ministers and 19 ministers.
"On January 15, the conservatives found coalition partners in Bulgaria after more than two months of negotiations, hoping to put an end to the political crisis that has long paralyzed the country," several global media reported.
"The conservative GERB party of three-time Prime Minister Boyko Borissov won parliamentary elections in October - its seventh in three years - but has so far struggled to find partners to govern," AFP reported.
"On 14 January, it finally got the green light from the party representing the Turkish minority to form a majority including the right, the Socialists and a populist party. It can count on 126 seats in the 240-member parliament. The head of state now intends to send a decree to parliament, which will put the list of ministers to a vote on Thursday, January 16," the Washington Post reports.
The party chose Zhelyazkov to head the new government instead of its leader Boyko Borissov, who led three governments between 2009 and 2021, when his third resigned after major anti-corruption protests, according to Radio France Inter.
Zhelyazkov, a 56-year-old lawyer, said his cabinet would work for the absorption of EU funds, for better governance and functioning of state institutions.
Bulgaria, which is an EU member and has applied to join the eurozone, needs a stable government to tame inflation and ensure the inflow of EU funds, the global media said.
Analysts have predicted difficult times for the GERB-led composition due to the political differences of the parties involved.
Sofia secured its long-awaited full membership of the Schengen zone for visa-free travel from January 1, but still needs to further curb inflation and ensure price stability to apply to join the eurozone from 2026, according to global media.
The new cabinet will also face the urgent task of adopting this year's long-delayed budget and overcoming delays in key reforms required by Brussels for EU aid. | BGNES
