Bulgaria’s government, led by Prime Minister Dimitar Zhelyazkov, survived a second no-confidence vote in parliament on Wednesday, despite losing its formal majority and facing growing criticism over its reliance on shifting political alliances.
The motion, brought by the nationalist Vazrazhdane party and supported by MECH and Velichie, was joined for the first time by the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DRF-MRF), which withdrew its support for the cabinet. The vote failed after the centrist We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria (WCC-DB) coalition abstained, citing plans to table its own no-confidence motion after a European Commission report on Bulgaria’s readiness to join the euro.
The motion’s failure keeps Zhelyazkov’s minority government in office, but the fractured parliament and mounting tensions raise questions about its long-term stability. GERB leader and former prime minister Boyko Borissov said the government would now operate by forming “thematic majorities” on a case-by-case basis.
“We got you into Schengen, now we’ll get you into the Eurozone too,” Borissov told journalists, referring to Bulgaria’s recent inclusion in the EU’s passport-free travel zone. “Only the Good Lord knows what will happen after June 4,” he added, pointing to the upcoming EU convergence report that will assess Bulgaria’s progress toward euro adoption.
Borissov dismissed speculation about early elections, despite opposition claims that the government is now reliant on controversial figure Delyan Peevski, leader of the MRF-New Beginning faction. Peevski, sanctioned under the U.S. Magnitsky Act in 2021 over alleged corruption, has since submitted documentation to be removed from the sanctions list, calling the charges “a fabricated fraud.”
“I support the government when it works for the people,” Peevski said. “We are not part of it and will not be. My party is now polling as the second-largest in the country—but what matters is that Bulgaria is doing well.”
Opposition leaders accused Peevski of exerting undue influence over the cabinet.
“There is a new majority in parliament, led by Peevski,” said Kostadin Kostadinov, leader of Vazrazhdane. “We will submit another no-confidence motion, this time focusing on energy and internal security.”
Radostin Vassilev, leader of the populist MECH party, echoed the sentiment: “This government will fall, not from another vote, but from its internal contradictions.”
Interior Minister Daniel Mitov, named as a possible target of a future motion, denied the government had sought support from Peevski. “We never asked for his votes. No one can be forced to back or oppose the cabinet,” he said.
Velichie party leader Ivelin Mihaylov described the vote as “relatively successful,” saying it exposed the government’s dependence on Peevski’s faction.
Despite the political instability, some ruling coalition members downplayed the risk of collapse. Dragomir Stoynev of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) said: “The agreement for joint governance still holds. In this context, early elections would be disastrous.”
As Bulgaria heads into a critical period ahead of the June eurozone report, its political landscape remains deeply polarized, with new no-confidence motions expected in the coming weeks.
