Bulgaria's prime ministerial candidate, 41-year-old Kiril Petkov, whose new anti-corruption party won the general election last month, said he hoped to take office on Monday as leader of a four-party coalition, ending months of political stalemate in the poorest EU country, AFP reports.

Bulgaria: Kiril Petkov Presented the Cabinet and the New Policies

Announcing his cabinet, the Harvard graduate and former entrepreneur Petkov said he "would not waste a minute to have his cabinet approved by parliament. I hope that on Monday this government will become a reality and will remain so for the next four years," Petkov said as he announced the composition of his government, which includes much younger professionals with experience abroad or from business circles.

Disappointed voters backed Petkov's newly formed anti-corruption party, "We Continue the Change" (WCC), on November 14th, when the third election this year was held. They were attracted by the party’s "zero tolerance for corruption" platform. The new government will put an end to the 10-year rule of the center-right GERB party of former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov. He faced mass anti-corruption protests in 2020.

Petkov and another Harvard graduate and former entrepreneur, 44-year-old Asen Vassilev, won praise for their resolute actions as caretaker ministers of economy and finance to restore transparency in taxpayers' money spending.

Euronews, France

Leaders of four Bulgarian parties said on Friday they had agreed to form a centrist-led coalition that would end months of political crisis, giving the country, plagued by economic and health problems, its first regular government since April. The agreement came after lengthy talks between the winner of last month's general election in the face of the centrist party “We Continue the Change”, two right-wing parties and the Socialist Party. Taken together, the four parties will control 134 seats in Bulgaria's 240-seat parliament, which is due to vote in favor of the new government on Monday. According to the agreement, the leader of WCC Kiril Petkov will be the coalition's candidate for prime minister, tasked with bringing Bulgaria out of a double health and economic crisis. "We are moving towards offering a stable government, which we hope will continue for the next four years," Petkov said.

Business News Europe (BNE), Germany

The formation of a coalition and a regular government is expected to end Bulgaria's deep political crisis, which went through three general elections and two caretaker governments since April, as no party has so far managed to form a majority. The agreement was signed a day after President Rumen Radev gave the formation the mandate to form a regular government, and the two leaders of "We Continue the Change" Kiril Petkov and Asen Vassilev immediately returned it with a proposal for their cabinet. Petkov, who has been nominated as head of government, said the first priorities for his cabinet, which is due to be approved by parliament on December 13th, will be tackling the covid pandemic, high energy prices and changes in the state administration in order to make it more effective and end corruption.

Daily mail, United Kingdom

Prime Minister-candidate Kiril Petkov, who is the founder of a technology investment company, recalled months of protests against corruption in Bulgaria last year and said the country was ready for change. "It is time after 32 years for Bulgarians to see rulers who take care of them; It is time for young Bulgarians abroad to see Bulgaria as a promising place to return, and our parents see Bulgaria as a place where they can retire with dignity and live out their old days," he said.

/BGNES