Week in Review: Week in Review: Between Endless Elections and Coups

Deadlocked Again

Local TV broadcasting a special statement by Bulgarian TV host turned politician, Slavi Trifonov, and leader of the 'There Is Such a People' party after the country's parliamentary elections, in Sofia. Photo: EPA-EFE/VASSIL DONEV

Another election, another deadlock. This just about sums up the political situation in Bulgaria - after the April Parliamentary elections delivered a fragmented Parliament unable to cobble together a governing majority, a repeated election on July 11 did not change the equation much.

What next for Bulgaria? Can a way be found to forge a governing majority? In his comment for Balkan Insight, Tom Junes argues that Bulgaria is heading into dangerously unchartered waters. An extremely unstable minority government or - perhaps more likely - a third election are the most likely outcomes on the cards.

Read more: Snap Elections Fail to Calm Bulgaria's Political Instability (July 15, 2021)

Going Nowhere Quickly

Angelina Eichhorst (L), EU Director for Western Europe, the Western Balkans and Turkey, The US Secretary of State's Special Representative for the Western Balkans Matthew Palmer (C) and US Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina Eric Nelson (R) during their meeting with members of tripartite Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina (not on pictured) in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 05 July 2021. Special Representative for the Western Balkans Matthew Palmer, arrived on a working visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina. EPA-EFE/FEHIM DEMIR

While Bulgaria holds repeated elections in an effort to read the will of the people, Bosnia remains stuck over how to test the will of the people. The country's electoral system is broken and in desperate need of fixing.