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A30 world news
Diaranson 22 Juni 2022

Bulgarian PM appeals for support ahead of no-confidence vote

alition partner, the There be where it should be: a pros- in backing the west's sanc-
is Such a People party, quit perous European (country), tions against Moscow since it
this month over similar fis- with working institutions, a invaded Ukraine on 24. Feb.
cal complaints and Bulgaria's working judiciary, good edu- In late April, Russia cut off
relations with neighboring cation (and) healthcare." the country's gas supplies af-
North Macedonia. While five ter officials refused to pay for
legislators from the party de- Several hundred anti-gov- bills in rubles, Russia's cur-
fected to Petkov, he will need ernment protesters also gath- rency.
at least another 6 votes to sur- ered Tuesday evening near
vive Wednesday's ballot. parliament. But the current crisis, Ste-
Inflation in Bulgaria — the Petkov urged lawmakers on fanov added, especially if
EU's poorest member — hit Tuesday to keep "the interests prolonged and leading to
15.6% in May, which is the of the people" in mind when another election, would fa-
highest year-on-year increase they vote. vor "forces that will be much
in consumer prices since Ruslan Stefanov, program di- closer to Russia that will win
2008. rector at the Center for the a bigger chunk of the pie,"
(AP) — Bulgarian law- Study of Democracy, a Sofia- potentially creating issues
makers on Tuesday started If the motion passes, as ex- About a thousand pro-gov- based think tank, described with Bulgaria's western part-
debating a no-confidence pected, it will thrust the ernment protesters con- the no-confidence motion as ners.
motion against the minor- NATO and European Union verged near the parliament the result of "internal squab- GERB, the opposition party
ity government, on the nation of 7 million people building in the capital Sofia bling over the allocation of that triggered Wednesday's
eve of the vote that could back into political turmoil. late Tuesday, to express their budgetary funds." vote, is headed by former
well topple centrist Prime In 2021, three separate gen- support for Petkov's admin- prime minister Boyko Bo-
Minister Kiril Petkov, eral elections were held as istration with chants of "we "This is not a good moment rissov, who governed Bul-
elected just months ago Bulgaria lurched from one will succeed together." for Bulgaria not to have a par- garia for about a decade until
on pledges to fight cor- political crisis to another. Po- Petkov, a 42-year-old Har- liament," he told The Associ- 2021.
ruption. litical instability could also vard-educated businessman ated Press. "Bulgaria is about In March, Borissov, who
boost historically strong Rus- elected in December, ad- to receive about 4 billion (eu- faced huge anti-government
Parliament will vote Wednes- sian influence in the Black dressed the rally — telling ros) in funds from the EU's protests in 2020, was detained
day on the motion filed last Sea country that has seen a supporters that "we will all Recovery and Resilience in a corruption crackdown
week by the center-right op- spike in pro-Russian and an- change Bulgaria together." Mechanism, but needs to along with other GERB party
position GERB party, over ti-Western propaganda. adopt a package of about 20 members following investi-
the government's handling of "I believe that no matter what laws before this happens — gations by the EU prosecu-
the public finances and eco- Petkov's coalition controls tomorrow's vote will be, no Bulgaria needs this money." tor's office. He was released
nomic policy in the face of only 109 of parliament's 240 one can stop us," he said. a day later without being
sharply rising inflation. seats, after his populist co- "Sooner or later Bulgaria will Bulgaria has been steadfast charged.

Macron holds postelection talks with French party leaders

(AP) — President Em- ident of The Republicans, basis with lawmakers from in favor of raising the retire- tion — have lost their seats
manuel Macron held talks Christian Jacob, the head of the center-left and from the ment age. and won't be able to stay in
Tuesday with France's the Socialist Party, Olivier conservative party. the government under the
main party leaders in a Faure, and far-right leader The Socialist leader, Olivier rules he set.
bid to show he is open to Marine Le Pen. Macron was reelected in Faure, told reporters "it's pos- While keeping him busy at
dialogue after his centrist April on an agenda including sible to move forward" but home, the situation at par-
alliance failed to win an Macron also met with rep- measures to boost purchasing "we won't approve policies liament is not expected to
absolute majority in par- resentatives of his own party power, tax cuts and raising which would be contrary to destabilize Macron's inter-
liamentary elections. and allied movements. Other the minimum retirement age commitments we made to national agenda. The French
meetings were scheduled from 62 to 65. the French." president holds substantial
The meetings at the Elysee Wednesday. After her meeting with Ma- Faure advocated for a mea- powers over foreign policy,
presidential palace come af- Talks were aiming at finding cron, Le Pen said that he "lis- sure proposed by the leftist European affairs and defense.
ter Prime Minister Elisabeth "potential constructive solu- tens," but "does he hear? We'll coalition to bring the month-
Borne formally offered her tions" to the situation, ac- see." ly minimum salary from Macron is to travel to Brus-
resignation Tuesday, in line cording to Macron's office. She said she told him her about 1,300 euros to 1,500 sels for a European summit
with the tradition after par- Macron has not publicly party's MPs will be part of the euros. scheduled on Thursday and
liamentary elections. Macron commented on the elections' opposition but don't want to Friday. He will then head to
immediately rejected the of- results yet. do "systematic obstruction." Macron will also soon need a G-7 meeting in Germany
fer and maintained the cur- "If measures are being pro- to handle another issue : a next week, followed by a
rent government. Instead, in his first public ap- posed that go in the right government reshuffle. Three NATO summit in Spain and
pearance since the elections, direction ... we will vote for ministers — out of the 15 a brief visit to Portugal.
Macron's Together! alliance he appeared Tuesday evening them. If they go in the wrong who were running for reelec-
won 245 seats in Sunday's on a stage set up in the Elysee direction, we will amend
parliamentary elections — 44 courtyard for France's Music them. If they are not amend-
seats short of a majority in the Day, for a show in front of ed as we want, then we will
National Assembly, France's about 2,000 guests. Macron oppose them," she said.
most powerful house of par- said that while being busy all
liament. day with politics, it was now On his way out of the Ely-
The leftist Nupes coalition time for entertainment. "Be see, Jacob said The Repub-
won 131 seats to become the happy!" he told the crowd. licans, who hold 61 seats,
main opposition force. The won't enter into any "pact or
far-right National Rally got With the most seats at the coalition" with Macron's cen-
89 seats in the 577-member National Assembly, his gov- trists. However, he opened
chamber, up from its previ- ernment still has the ability the door to voting in favor of
ous eight. to rule, but only by bargain- some measures if they are in
ing with legislators. To pre- line with his party's platform.
Macron held successive vent potential deadlock, Ma- He notably mentioned pen-
meetings with opposition cron's party and allies may try sion changes, since the con-
members, including the pres- to negotiate on a case-by-case servatives are, like Macron,