Bulgaria govt. formally resigns in wake of election loss
Bulgaria's center-right government has formally resigned, three days after Prime Minister Boyko Borisov announced that he will quit following the defeat of a candidate backed by the ruling party in the presidential election.
"The results clearly show that the ruling coalition no longer holds the majority," pro-West Borisov said on November 13, adding, "I apologize to those who supported us. I thought I was doing the right thing."
The ruling party’s candidate, Tsetska Tsacheva, was beaten by Rumen Radev, who enjoys the backing of Socialists and is perceived as pro-Russia.
Bulgaria's presidency is a largely ceremonial post, but the president is still a respected figure with some powers.
The country will likely be run by an interim technocrat government until the next legislative elections, which will not be held before March despite efforts by outgoing President Rosen Pleneviev, who was due to initiate talks on Thursday among Bulgaria's political parties to form a new government.
Bulgaria, once a loyal Russian ally, has been tilting away from Moscow and moved closer to the West under the outgoing government. It became a NATO member in 2004.
The most impoverished member state of the European Union, Bulgaria is almost entirely dependent on Russia for energy supplies, and many Bulgarians feel culturally attached to their Black Sea neighbor.
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