Bulgaria: Borissov Tells Radev to 'Veto or Approve' as Dispute Over Lukoil Oversight Deepens
President Rumen Radev has once again criticized the government over its actions regarding the Burgas-based refinery “Lukoil Neftochim”
If the third mandate to form a government fails, Bulgaria will face early parliamentary elections in mid-October. Despite hopes from "There Is Such a People" (TISP) for a successful third-term government, forecasts suggest that the 50th National Assembly may not be able to establish a regular cabinet, "Dnevnik" reports. Should this prediction come true, President Rumen Radev will be required to schedule early elections within two months.
Before setting the election date, President Radev must appoint a caretaker prime minister, who will propose a caretaker government. Following a Constitutional Court ruling, the president’s choice for a caretaker prime minister is now limited to a specific group of individuals. Potential candidates include:
Other candidates could be the Chairman or Deputy Chairman of the Audit Chamber. This includes current acting Prime Minister Dimitar Glavchev (GERB), Gorica Grancharova-Kozhareva (DPS), or Toshko Todorov (GERB). Additionally, the ombudsman or their deputy could be considered; however, there is currently no elected ombudsman, and Elena Cherneva-Markova, the former deputy, resigned in March. There is no current plan to elect a new ombudsman, with deputies on vacation until August 17.
Once the decree for a caretaker government is issued, the President must also set the date for the early elections. According to constitutional experts, the most likely dates for these elections are October 13 or October 20.
Asen Vassilev, co-chair of the opposition party "We Continue the Change," sharply criticized the government’s decision to nominate Rumen Spetsov as special manager of Lukoil Neftochim
Defense Minister Atanas Zapryanov told the parliamentary defense committee that Bulgaria expects the F-16 Block 70 fighters to become fully operational in 2028
The Bulgarian government has put forward Rumen Spetsov as the special sales representative for Lukoil Neftochim
Bulgaria’s Ministry of Defence is set to receive a budget of EUR 2.708 billion for 2026
Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev assured on Thursday that Bulgaria will not face a fuel crisis, stressing that the government is doing everything in its power to prevent one
Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov admitted that he does not consider the draft state budget for 2026 to be a good one, yet described it as the only feasible option under the current geopolitical and domestic circumstances
Bulgaria's Strategic Role in the EU's Drone Wall Defense Initiative
When Politics Means Violence