The runner-up in Bulgaria's parliamentary elections will not form a coalition with the winning GERB party, the leader of We Continue the Change (PP) said on Tuesday, signalling a likely continuation of the country's political deadlock.
The European Union member held its fifth parliamentary election in two years on Sunday, but distrust between the pro-Western reformist party PP and GERB means another temporary cabinet or another vote are the most likely due to the difficulties of forming a coalition with a majority, according to analysts.
"The National Council of the party has decided that We Continue the Change will not support a Cabinet with... the participation of the political party GERB," Assen Vassilev, co-leader of PP told reporters.
"The National Council mandates the Executive Council to send representatives to hold policy talks with all parliamentary parties."
Bulgaria's prolonged political deadlock, caused mainly by personal animosity among leaders of the two main blocs, has already forced the country to delay its target date for adopting the euro, and it has yet to approve a budget bill for 2023.
Preliminary results show GERB won 26.5% of the vote, while PP received 24.6%.
The nationalist Revival party, which is sympathetic to Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Ukraine war and opposes Bulgaria joining the euro, placed third in Sunday's election with 14.2%, up several percentage points from the previous vote last October.
(Reporting by Stoyan Nenov; Writing by Alan Charlish; Editing by Josie Kao)
