Sofia, Bulgaria (AP) – The Bulgarian government made its second no-confidence motion in parliament in weeks on Thursday.
The motion proposed by the Mechanical Party and supported by two other nationalists and pro-Russian groups, accusing the government of failing to effectively combat rampant grafting and bribery. In the 240-seat parliament, it was defeated in 130-72 votes. The government's coalition cabinet is led by the center-right party.
The government condemned the motion to set Bulgaria apart from its plans to adopt the euro in early 2026, which would consolidate its European integration.
Contrary to the priority of declaring opposition to corruption, the pro-Western opposition PP-DB did not support the motion, citing the forthcoming European Commission report on Bulgaria’s bid for entry into the euro zone, as a reason to avoid destabilizing the government.
PP-DB legislator Venko Sabrutev said: “Any vote without trust is not a vote for the government to overturn the government before Bulgaria enters the euro zone, but a vote to stop its pro-European curriculum.”
Over the years, corrupt corruption has damaged Bulgaria's daily life, dishonest public procurement, unregulated lobbying, voting purchases and property fraud. The situation of the judiciary complicates the response to grafts, and the state has been widely criticized for being favored by politicians.
