Bulgaria faces fresh vote as Socialists refuse to form government

Bulgaria will head to the polls in July after the Socialists became the third party to refuse to lead a government.

Bulgaria will head to the polls in July after the Socialists became the third political party to refuse to lead a government following last month’s parliamentary election. The Socialists, who lost almost half of their seats in the April 4 election, said on Saturday it would be impossible to build a working majority in a fragmented parliament and would return the mandate immediately after the president hands it to them on May 5. President Rumen Radev faces having to dissolve parliament, appoint an interim administration and call snap polls within two months – most likely on July 11.