Third exploratory mandate to be handed to Socialists by President Radev

President Rumen Radev will hand the third exploratory mandate for forming a new government to the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) on Monday at 5 p.m., the President's Press Secretariat reported on Sunday.

On Friday, the head of State held consultations with all seven parliamentary groups ahead of handing the third mandate for forming a new government within the life of the current National Assembly.

On June 22, the coalition government of Prime Minister Kiril Petkov (Continue the Change) lost a vote of no confidence in Parliament, submitted by GERB-UDF. The vote went through after coalition partner There Is Such a People (TISP) decided to pull its ministers from the Government. The no-confidence vote triggered a constitutional procedure for the formation of a new government whereby the President has to hand up to three exploratory Cabinet-forming mandates.

If BSP returns the third mandate unfulfilled, the President must appoint a caretaker government, disband the National Assembly and schedule snap elections.