In Bulgaria, Prime Minister-designate Maria Gabriel has withdrawn her candidacy for prime minister after coalition negotiations between the two largest political groups failed.
Former EU commissioner Gabriel had been put forward by her GERB-UDF combination to lead a new government. Her party had agreed a coalition for a year and a half with the Reform Party of Prime Minister Nikolai Denkov last April - after its election victory in a by-election.
Both would rule for nine months, until regular elections at the end of this year. Prime Minister Denkov's government would resign at the beginning of March (which he indeed did two weeks ago), after which Gabriel would be allowed to form a new government.
But after difficult and stalled negotiations with several factions, she said 'it had failed and it was all over', and that Bulgaria was heading for (once again) early elections. In the event of premature resignation, the Bulgarian parliament does not have to be dissolved. The political parties in Bulgaria have been at odds with each other for years, and there have been accusations of corruption and cronyism on both sides.
Gabriel's talks became bogged down in partisan rows over judicial reform, the leadership of the security services and the distribution of ministerial posts in Gabriel's proposed cabinet.
In a televised speech late Sunday, Denkov called on GERB-UDF “instead of plunging the country into chaos” to keep their word, sign the agreement and vote for a government.
If new elections have to be held, this may be combined with the European elections in June. If that fails, Bulgarians will have to go to the polls for a new government for the sixth time in three years. The turnout has been particularly low the last few times.