Latest news with #Borissov
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Bulgarian Government's Majority Is Razor-Thin After Vote Recount
(Bloomberg) -- Bulgaria's government has a razor-thin majority after a court-mandated recount of October's election results added another party to an already fragmented parliament. Trump DEI Purge Hits Affordable Housing Groups Electric Construction Equipment Promises a Quiet Revolution NYC Congestion Pricing Toll Gains Support Among City Residents Open Philanthropy Launches $120 Million Fund To Support YIMBY Reforms Prospect Medical's Pennsylvania Hospitals at Risk of Closure The Balkan country has long been locked in a political crisis, which seven elections in four years have failed to resolve. The newly-appointed cabinet, led by former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov's Gerb party, now relies on 121 votes in the 240-member assembly, down from 126. Weakening the governing coalition could push Bulgaria closer toward yet another vote and undermine public faith in the electoral process. That risks dashing hopes for political stability in the EU's poorest member, as well as potentially its aspirations for joining the euro area. 'If a government is only focused on its survival, it won't achieve anything,' Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev told reporters in Sofia on Thursday. Borissov, who lost his political dominance after more than a decade following mass anti-graft protests in 2021, won October's snap vote by a large margin, but fell short of securing a majority. Several parties appealed the result, and the Constitutional Court ordered a re-calculation at the national level last month after discovering multiple violations and discrepancies between electoral reports and the number of ballots counted in a sample of polling stations. That led to a shift in the parties' share of seats in parliament, resulting in the dismissal of 16 lawmakers from across the political spectrum. The court ruled that Greatness — a small anti-establishment nationalist party that missed the threshold in October by just 21 votes — will have 10 seats in parliament. The new layout could make it hard for Borissov's cabinet to pass any reforms. It could also hinder Bulgaria's efforts to adopt the euro early next year — a goal for multiple governments that has faced setbacks for years. Borissov said that joining the euro area was his single strategic goal for Bulgaria. His opponents aimed to disrupt his efforts by bringing 'chaos' through questioning October's election results, he told reporters on Thursday before the court's decision. How America Got Hooked on H Mart How Trump's 'No Tax on Tips' Could Backfire for the Working Class How Natural Gas Became America's Most Important Export Disney's Parks Chief Sees Fortnite as Key to Its Future Germany Is Suffering an Identity Crisis 80 Years in the Making ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Yahoo
27-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Bulgarian court orders recount of parliamentary election results amid voting discrepancies
Bulgaria's Constitutional Court ordered a full recount of the country's October 2024 parliamentary election results on Feb. 26 following an audit that discovered various voting discrepancies. The court-issued recount puts at risk a slim six-seat majority for former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, the current leader of the coalition government. Multiple parties contested the results of the vote at the local level after they were revealed, citing irregularities. Following a court-ordered audit, voting discrepancies were found in nearly half of the sampled polling stations. Following the recount, adjustments to the total seat counts in Bulgaria's parliament may be made, the court , potentially impacting the fragile government coalition. The announcement of the recount comes amid a unstable last few years in the EU country, with a total of seven elections being held since 2021 — none of which have been able to produce a stable government. Borissov, current head of the conservative-populist Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party, resigned from his post in 2021 amid corruption allegations. The recount in the Balkan country comes alongside news on Feb. 26 that Calin Georgescu, presidential candidate and right-wing populist in neighboring Romania, was charged by prosecutors for alleged crimes related to the country's recent elections. Georgescu, a pro-Russian candidate, emerged as the frontrunner in Romania's presidential race in the first-round vote on Nov. 24. Romania's Constitutional Court annulled those results after reviewing evidence of "organized manipulation from abroad." Bulgaria has provided Ukraine with a variety of aid since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, but the matter has been contentious due to significant pro-Russian sentiment in the country and opposition from President Rumen Radev. Read also: Far-right Romanian presidential candidate detained, charged in election probe We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
