Bulgaria’s foreign minister appoints largest group in parliament to form country’s new government

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• Bulgarian President Rumen Radev assigned the task of forming a new government to the GERB-UDF coalition, the largest group in parliament.
• Maria Gabriel, designated as prime minister under a power-sharing agreement, received the mandate from Radev.
• The agreement states that each main political party would hold the top position for nine months at a time.

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on Monday tapped the largest group in parliament, the center-right GERB-UDF coalition, to form the country’s new government.

Radev handed the mandate to Maria Gabriel, the prime minister-designate under a power-sharing deal by the two main political parties, according to which each would hold the top job for nine months at a time.

Earlier this month, Nikolay Denkov of the reformist coalition led by “We Continue the Change,” stepped down after his nine months as prime minister, paving the way for Gabriel, a former European Commissioner who served as deputy head of Denkov’s government and foreign minister.

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The two parties agreed to share power after elections last year in a bid to end a two-and-a-half-year-long political crisis, restore stability and spur economic development in the poorest member country of the European Union.

Bulgaria’s European Innovation Commissioner Mariya Gabriel speaks during a media conference at EU headquarters in Brussels. (Olivier Hoslet, Pool Photo via AP, File)

Accepting the mandate, Gabriel said that she does it “with a sense of responsibility as Bulgaria needs stability.” It was also announced that she would keep the foreign minister portfolio in the new government, which analysts see as a guarantee that Bulgaria will remain on its pro-Western track.

Gabriel has seven days to nominate a cabinet, which needs to be approved by a majority in parliament.

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Following last year’s election, GERB has 69 seats in the 240-seat parliament, while the reformist bloc has 63.

Gabriel, 43, a member of the European Parliament since 2009, was EU commissioner for innovation, research, culture, education and youth. She is also the first vice chair of the European People’s Party.