A Rival in Need Is a Friend Indeed: Bulgaria’s Experiment with a Rotating Prime Minister

Bulgaria's new government offers hope of a more pro-Ukrainian and Atlanticist approach

16 June 2023

A last-minute deal between political adversaries paved the way for forming a majority-backed government in Bulgaria.

After months of horse-trading and political stalemate, Bulgaria’s dominant rival blocs finally formed a government backed up by a clear parliamentary majority after two years of caretaker cabinets and five consecutive general elections. Under an unusual deal by the two blocs in parliament – Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria-Union of Democratic Forces (GERB-SDS) and We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB), Nikolay Denkov (PP) and former EU Commissioner Mariya Gabriel (GERB) will rotate as prime ministers every nine months.

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This until recently unthinkable scenario resembles a similar arrangement in neighbouring Romania, in what could be described as a natural experiment in political governance from key Balkan EU and NATO member states.

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Maria Simeonova

Maria Simeonova is the programme coordinator for the Wider Europe programme and ECFR's Sofia office. She focuses on the Western Balkans and Turkey.

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