Bulgarian parliamentary election

The Bulgarian Parliament has rejected Rosen Zhelyazkov's nomination for Prime Minister after more than three hours of debate. The proposed GERB government, with Zhelyazkov at the helm, was turned down.

During consultations with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, Kostadin Kostadinov, leader of the Bulgarian right-wing party "Revival" (Vazrazhdane), expressed optimism about the possibility of forming a government in the current parliament. He emphasized a potential coalition formula involving parties other than GERB and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), totaling 125 mandates.

President Rumen Radev met with representatives of the coalition "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB), marking his third round of consultations with parliamentary parties.

Government consultations with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev began today, starting with the parliamentary group of the GERB party. President Radev emphasized GERB's responsibility as the largest political force to seek a majority and form a government.

In their first statement to the media following the swearing-in of the new parliament, "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) reiterated their refusal to join a future governing majority despite urgent requests from GERB and DPS. The coalition emphasized their commitment to being a clear pro-European opposition focused on exposing corruption and irregularities.

Boyko Borissov, the leader of GERB, announced that forming a government is currently not feasible. Raya Nazaryan is being proposed for the Speaker of the Parliament, and today's vote on her candidacy will determine the continuation of negotiations with other parties. Borissov emphasized that the vote will reveal whether a government can be formed in this parliament.

The "Revival" party has also declined GERB's invitation for negotiations to form a government with the first mandate. In a detailed statement to the media, "Revival" clarified their position, emphasizing that they will only support a government formed under their own mandate.

"We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB) has declined an invitation to participate in government formation negotiations with GERB, the leading political force in Bulgaria's newly elected parliament. The coalition made its stance clear in a letter to GERB, expressing gratitude for the invitation but firmly stating its decision to act as a strong pro-European opposition.

In the recent election, the Central Election Commission (CEC) reported over 58,000 invalid votes, with 2,211,648 valid votes counted. Paper ballots in the ballot box totaled just over 1,454,000, and machine votes were nearly 815,300. Additionally, 63,913 voters chose the option "I'm not supporting anyone."

The Central Election Commission (CEC) reported a 34.41% voter turnout at the end of election day on Sunday, June 9. By 20:00, 2,268,644 people had voted for the National Assembly. Meanwhile, the turnout for the European Parliament elections was slightly lower, with 33.79%, or 2,074,192 voters.