SOFIA (Reuters) – Bulgaria’s parliament on Tuesday voted in a government led by Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov, which is set to implement reforms that would lead the Balkan country into the euro zone and Schengen groupings of European nations.
One hundred and thirty-two deputies in the 240-seat parliament voted for Denkov, ending a two-year political deadlock. The political uncertainty has forced EU member Bulgaria to delay its target date for adopting the euro, and it has yet to approve a budget bill for 2023.
“Today is the day when we can give hope to the millions of Bulgarians who want our country to have a regular government,” Denkov was cited as telling the parliament by the Sofiaglobe web site.
He said his cabinet would have “the courage and expertise to make the important decisions and bear responsibility for them.”
Denkov said the first task of his cabinet would be to ensure parliamentary support for the 2023 budget.
Denkov, whose political coalition, led by the We Continue To Change party, came second in the April election, will lead the government for the next nine months.
Ex-European Commissioner Mariya Gabriel, a member of the GERB party, will take over as premier after nine months, according to the coalition agreement signed by GERB and We Continue for Change.
In elections on April 2, GERB came first, winning 69 seats in the 240-seat parliament. The bloc led by We Continue To Change won 64 seats.
(Reporting by Stoyan Nenov and Ivana Sekularac; Editing by Bernadette Baum)
