Bulgaria’s new Prime Minister Rossen Zhelyazkov told reporters in Strasbourg that his government will try to overcome “political differences” with coalition partners to avoid losing billions of euros in EU recovery funds. He made the comments during his first trip abroad to meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Bulgaria risks losing the funds from the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility, which has made up to €723.8 billion ($787 billion) available in loans and grants to member states, due to prolonged political instability, Euractiv reported. The Commission has warned Bulgaria of a potential suspension of payments due to slow progress on key reforms tied to the funding. Several laws related to Bulgaria’s obligations under the plan have been stalled in parliament for months.
Zhelyazkov, who took office last week, said his government “will seek a path to the coalition partners” to resolve disagreements over the reforms.
Two members of the governing coalition, the Bulgarian Socialist Party and the There is Such a People party, oppose the closure of coal-fired power stations and are critical of the European Green Deal, Euractiv reported. The Socialists also oppose liberalizing the electricity market for households starting in 2026, a commitment Bulgaria has repeatedly delayed.
Zhelyazkov emphasized the importance of meeting the EU’s requirements. “Because, as Mrs. von der Leyen mentioned, this is Bulgarian money, and we must do what is necessary to receive it,” he said.
He said he and von der Leyen discussed “common challenges” including “global competitiveness, security, energy security, future cohesion policy, targeted investments for better industrialization, and of course overregulation, bureaucratic burden and some policies that need revision.”
Zhelyazkov, a lawyer and member of Boyko Borissov’s GERB party, which is affiliated with the European People’s Party, previously served as transport minister and briefly as speaker of parliament. His primary challenge as prime minister is to bridge the often-divergent views of his own party and its coalition partners.