Radev’s mandate to form a new government was rejected by the conservative GERB-SDS group Monday and by pro-EU PP-DB group Wednesday.
“We are heading to elections,” Radev said, according to local media. Under the country’s constitution, the president must now appoint a caretaker prime minister after consultations with the parliamentary groups and schedule new polls.
The last prime minister, Rosen Zhelyazkov resigned in December, following weeks of anti-corruption protests against his government. His Cabinet, which took office in January 2025, survived six votes of no confidence before collapsing.
The vote will be Bulgaria’s eighth election in four years. No prime minister since 2021 has managed to serve a full four-year term.