The announcement on Monday of early parliamentary elections, the seventh in just over three years, highlights the difficulties in forming coalitions and, with them, in making Sofia’s voice heard in Brussels in the best possible conditions.
Political instability in Bulgaria is not only an internal issue. The situation could disrupt several issues with the European Union.
The announcement on Monday parliamentary elections anticipated, the seventh in just over three years, highlights the difficulties in forming coalitions and, with them, to make Sofia’s voice heard in Brussels in the best possible conditions.
In the immediate future, the absence of a full government poses a problem for the next Bulgarian commissioner in the European Commission. He Candidate Name must be presented to the president of the institution, Ursula von der Leyen, at the end of this month August, at the latest.
In this context, former Bulgarian Deputy Foreign Minister Milen Keremedchiev believes that “it will probably be decided that the current Commissioner Iliana Ivanova is the new candidate“.
Bulgaria’s entry into the eurozone in 2025 seems impossible
Another hot topic for Bulgaria is entry into the eurozone. The Balkan country hopes to join the single currency next year, but the political difficulties make this prospect unlikely, according to Dimitar Bechev, senior researcher at the think tank ‘Carnegie Europe’.
“The plan was for Bulgaria to enter the eurozone on January 1, 2025. This goal now seems illusory,” he explains. “There has been no positive report from the European Commission. The inflation target It has not been fulfilledand it is likely that the interim government does not have the political strength necessary to control these figures,” says Bechev.
For the analyst, however, this political situation should not lead to questioning the agreement on the partial entry of the Balkan country in the Schengen area. Since March 31, there are no air or sea border controls between Bulgaria and the other member countries of the European free movement zone.
However, Dimitar Bechev believes that the Balkan nation could have problems obtaining the funds allocated to it under the European recovery plan. after the COVID-19 pandemic: Next Generation EU. This is because the payments are accompanied by objectives that the entire Government must meet.
