Bulgaria forms caretaker government ahead of snap elections in April

A new caretaker government in Bulgaria, headed by Andrey Gyurov, officially assumed office on Wednesday ahead of snap parliamentary elections scheduled for April 19 — marking the country’s eighth nationwide vote since 2021.

According to Balkan Insight, the early elections were triggered by the collapse of a contentious governing coalition led by the centre-right GERB party. The alliance had included the Bulgarian Socialist Party and There Is Such a People, while also relying on support from the New Beginning movement associated with businessman and political figure Delyan Peevski.

The coalition government stepped down in December following mass protests sparked by public anger over a proposed annual budget. The demonstrations were described as the largest seen in Bulgaria in decades.

Gyurov said the newly appointed caretaker justice minister, Andrey Yankulov, could seek the resignation of acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov. Sarafov has faced criticism for supporting the dissolved coalition and for allegedly misleading coverage of two recent tragic incidents in northwestern Bulgaria, which authorities are investigating as a group suicide in one case and a murder followed by suicide in the other.

The interim cabinet also marks the return of veteran diplomat Nadezhda Neynsky, who previously served as foreign minister from 1997 to 2001, later as a member of the European Parliament from 2009 to 2014, and as ambassador to Türkiye between 2015 and 2021. She has once again been appointed to lead the Foreign Ministry.

In a notable departure from standard practice, Gyurov named civil society activist Stoil Tsitselkov as deputy prime minister responsible for overseeing “fair voting,” reflecting an emphasis on election integrity.

Meanwhile, the anticipated political role of President Rumen Radev in the upcoming vote is expected to weaken nationalist and pro-Russian political forces, including Vazrazhdane. Analysts say the Bulgarian Socialist Party — traditionally viewed as Moscow-leaning — now faces the real possibility of failing to cross the 4% electoral threshold required to enter parliament for the first time.

By Tamilla Hasanova