Bulgaria Struggles to Form a Parliamentary Coalition

Bulgaria's Oct. 5 parliamentary elections brought forth a new set of challenges for the country. The center-right party Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) won 32 percent of the popular vote and 84 of the parliament's 240 seats. These results have forced the party to look for partners across the political spectrum. On Oct. 16, GERB announced that it would form a government with the Patriotic Front, an alliance of two nationalist parties. However, it will need additional partners if it wants to have a majority in parliament.

A succession of weak, unstable governments has plagued Bulgaria since early 2013, when a GERB-led government resigned after protests over utility prices. In the Oct. 5 elections, corruption scandals and a banking crisis contributed to voters' anti-establishment sentiments, resulting in a loss for the ruling Socialist-led coalition and a relatively strong performance for smaller parties. Creating a coalition dependent on the continued support of small parties will pose a challenge for Bulgaria's stability as the country faces a banking crisis and significant decisions regarding its energy future, including the fate of Gazprom's South Stream pipeline project.