Bulgaria moved closer to another snap election on January 12 after the country’s biggest parliamentary grouping declined a mandate from President Rumen Radev to try to form a new government, prolonging years of political instability in the European Union’s poorest member state.

Outgoing Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov immediately returned the exploratory mandate after receiving it from Radev, saying his centre-right GERB-UDF coalition lacked sufficient support in the fragmented 240-seat parliament to secure a stable majority.

“Due to our understanding that we are a consistent and predictable party, I will return the exploratory mandate as unsuccessful, thereby enabling the constitutional procedure to develop,” Zhelyazkov said at a ceremony at the presidency, BTA reported.

His decision paves the way for Bulgaria’s eighth parliamentary election since 2021. Zhelyazkov proposed March 29 as a possible election date, arguing that the end of March would be preferable to a longer period of political campaigning that could depress voter turnout.

GERB-UDF holds 66 seats in parliament and won the most recent election in October 2024, but only managed to form a government in January 2025 after months of coalition talks. Zhelyazkov’s cabinet resigned on December 11, 2025, following nationwide protests against the 2026 budget bill and alleged corruption, but has remained in office in a caretaker capacity.

Under the constitution, Radev is now expected to give the second-largest parliamentary group, Change Continues–Democratic Bulgaria (CC-DB), a chance to form a government. However, CC-DB lawmakers have already indicated they would return the mandate immediately, making fresh elections all but inevitable.

If the second attempt fails, the president may hand a third mandate to a party of his choosing. Should all three attempts prove unsuccessful, Radev must dissolve parliament, appoint a caretaker government and call early elections within two months.

Bulgaria has been mired in political deadlock and repeated elections for more than four years, highlighting deep divisions in parliament and low public trust in state institutions.

The latest uncertainty comes just weeks after Bulgaria joined the euro zone on January 1, 2026, becoming its 21st member. While the country met the technical criteria for entry, sustained political instability could hamper efforts to absorb EU funds, upgrade infrastructure, attract foreign investment and tackle entrenched corruption.

Zhelyazkov’s government was sworn in on January 16, 2025, after the October 2024 snap election – the seventh vote in three and a half years – highlighting the persistent difficulties in forming durable governing coalitions in the Balkan state.