SOFIA: Bulgaria looked set yesterday for further political instability after snap elections towards creating the country’s third government in less than two years fell short of producing a clear result.
Exit polls put strongman former premier Boyko Borisov’s right-wing GERB party in first place but with only 33.2 percent of the vote and 90 seats in the 240-seat parliament — 31 seats short of a majority. In second place were the Socialists with 16.5 percent and 45 seats, followed by the Turkish minority party MRF on 14.1 percent with 38 seats. Both parties backed the previous technocrat government that collapsed in July.
Reducing the number of seats for the big parties and making the formation of a government difficult, four other parties cleared the four-percent hurdle to enter what will be a highly fragmented parliament.
The new government, assuming it can be formed, will have its work cut out putting the European Union’s poorest country back on track. The average monthly salary in this southeastern European country of 7.4 million is the equivalent of ¤400 ($500), and seven years after joining the EU every fifth household lives below the poverty line.
Economic growth is sluggish and there are major worries about Bulgaria’s financial system, with tens of thousands of customers at the fourth-largest bank unable to withdraw funds since June because it is under investigation.
Anger at corruption and poverty erupted in nationwide protests that saw several people set themselves on fire. The unrest prompted former bodyguard Borisov to resign as prime minister in February 2013. The subsequent technocrat government installed by the Socialists fared little better, and after 14 months of almost constant demonstrations it too threw in the towel in July, paving the way for this latest election.
For analyst Vassil Tonchev, head of the Sova-Harris institute, the “only solution” will be a sort of grand coalition involving both Borisov’s party, the Socialists and several others.
“There are unpopular decisions that need to be taken. Public opinion will accept government like this in the hope that they can stabilise the situation. It needs to be formed with a clear programme and for a limited period of time,” Tonchev said. AFP
