Bulgaria is on the brink of new general election — the seventh since early 2021 — as Change Continues-Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB) received and immediately returned to President Rumen Radev the second mandate to form a government. 

It is not yet clear which party will receive the third and final mandate. However, the chances of any political formation succeeding to form a government with the last mandate are slim, given the fragmented parliament produced by the latest election. 

Earlier in July, CC-DB, which became the second largest formation in parliament after the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) split, tested whether it could secure a majority in parliament for a set of anti-corruption reforms. However, its proposal was not backed by any political party.

The third largest party in parliament, far-right pro-Russian Vazrazhdane, has said previously it wants the third mandate and proposes an anti-Gerb and anti-DPS coalition. However, among its conditions for signing a coalition agreement were referendums on Bulgaria’s exit from Nato and plans for entry to the eurozone.

On July 22, Vazrazhdane said in an official statement that there was not even a theoretical chance for a government in this parliament where two political parties have already fallen apart – the DPS and a newcomer, the nationalist pro-Russian Greatness party.

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) urged Radev to hold new consultations with all political formations before handing over the last mandate and suggested that the parliament should back a technocratic government with specific tasks and a short term in office.

Half of the DPS – the MPs loyal to the party’s chairman of honour Ahned Dogan – said in a statement they are willing to participate in negotiations on a government formed with the third mandate. The 23 MPs said they would back negotiations aimed at finding the common goals and priorities for stabilisation and development of the country within its Euro-Atlantic orientation.

The DPS would only exclude talks with Vazrazhdane, the party’s co-operational leader Dzhevdet Chakarov said in the statement.

CC-DB is also willing to join talks on a government with the third mandate although is sceptical as to whether they could produce a result.

“There is a room for dialogue in parliament and for meetings in which everyone can present their priorities calmly and without confrontation so that we shall hold such talks [despite] all the skepticism that something can happen with the third mandate,” CC-DB’s Bozhidar Bozhanov told reporters after the formation returned the mandate to Radev.

According to Bulgarian law, Radev does not have a specific timeframe for handing over the last mandate, nor does the political formation receiving it have a limited term to propose a government. Despite that, many expect that the procedure will not be delayed and that the country will hold its seventh general election since April 2021 in October.