Romania's Elena Lasconi Calls for Pro-European Unity Ahead of Presidential Run-Off
The Constitutional Court of Romania has upheld the results of the first round of the presidential election held on November 24
The leader of the Bulgarian party "Revival," Kostadin Kostadinov, labeled the phenomenon of bought votes as "the tumor of Bulgarian democracy" during his first press conference following the elections. With the Central Election Commission (CEC) confirming results, the party received 13.358% support, securing 35 seats in the newly elected 51st parliament.
Kostadinov expressed gratitude to their voters, noting an increase of 10% in support, translating to 325,000 votes compared to 295,000 in the previous elections. However, he emphasized that this achievement fell short of their goal to boost voter turnout by 300,000. He criticized the electoral process, suggesting that a significant portion of the increase stemmed from purchased votes. He expressed concern over the higher performance of the two DPS parties, which garnered nearly half a million votes, describing this as a substantial threat to national security.
He estimated that almost one million voters were coerced into casting ballots. Regarding the formation of a government, Kostadinov stated, "The question of whether there will be a government is not on the agenda at all—there will be a government, for sure." He predicted that at least four parties would be involved in its formation. He remarked that while Bulgarian citizens might be weary of elections, they are more concerned about the money spent on vote-buying since 2021.
Kostadinov asserted that regardless of the government formed, it would struggle to tackle the significant challenges facing the country. He stressed that "Revival's" primary aim in the coming months would be to protect national interests amid the serious geopolitical tensions that affect Bulgaria.
President Rumen Radev will begin consultations with parliamentary groups in the 51st National Assembly on December 10, according to the press office of the President.
The new Speaker of the National Assembly, Natalia Kiselova, has scheduled an extraordinary parliamentary session for December 10 at 1:00 p.m.
After ten failed attempts to elect a speaker, Bulgaria's parliament finally reached a decision, appointing Assoc. Prof. Natalia Kiselova from the "BSP - United Left"
Boyko Borissov, leader of GERB, has signaled a potential shift in strategy following unexpected developments in the ongoing attempts to form a government and elect a Speaker of the National Assembly
For the tenth consecutive time, the National Assembly failed to elect a Speaker
Bulgaria's Ministry of Defense has confirmed that the government has approved the provision of additional military assistance to Ukraine, as part of its ongoing support
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