The Bulgarian government resigned on Thursday, following last Sunday’s elections, and Prime Minister Boyko Borissov announced he was going on paid leave from Friday, meaning he will not appear before parliament to explain his decision to not submit Bulgaria’s recovery plan to the Commission.
The temporary executive power in the Balkan country will be headed by Deputy Prime Minister Tomislav Donchev, who is directly responsible for communication with the European Commission and the European funds.
The indicative deadline for the submission of the recovery plan expires at the end of April. At stake is €6 billion, which the EU is allocating to Bulgaria in order to overcome the damage from the pandemic and transition to low-carbon industry.
Borissov is known for his reluctance to visit parliament and report to lawmakers. After the election, he refused to become an MP, although he was elected as leader of his GERB party’s list in Bulgaria’s two largest cities, Sofia and Plovdiv.
Borissov submitted his government’s resignation to the parliament’s office on Thursday without announcing it in advance. At the same time, the new Bulgarian parliament held its first sitting, and deputies were sworn in.
Borissov’s government will run the country until a new government is elected by parliament or new elections are called. If parliament fails to elect a new government, the president must then appoint an interim government to hold the elections and hand over power. / EURACTIV.bg
