Bulgaria's no-confidence vote could hamper EU expansion

22/6/2022 19:52

        Lawmakers in Bulgaria are set to vote Wednesday on a no-confidence motion against the country's coalition government. If approved, the motion could topple the centrist prime minister and further stall efforts by Balkan countries to join the European Union.
        
        The center-right opposition GERB party filed the motion last week, citing the government's handling of public finances and economic policy in the face of rising inflation.
        
        Prime Minister Kiril Petkov's coalition controls 109 of parliament's 240 seats after a populist partner party, There is Such a People, withdrew its support this month due to similar fiscal complaints and Bulgaria’s relations with neighboring North Macedonia over an unresolved ethno-cultural dispute.
        
        Bulgaria has blocked North Macedonia's bid to join the EU, and with it, Albania's as well. The Bulgarian government has insisted North Macedonia formally recognize that its language has Bulgarian roots, acknowledge in its constitution a Bulgarian minority, and quash "hate speech" against Bulgaria. North Macedonia has said that its identity and language aren't open for discussion.