Bulgaria’s new government aims to fight corruption and join Schengen and Eurozone

Bulgaria’s two largest parties have parliamentary support to form a new government together. 132 of the 240 MPs voted in favour.

Nikolai Denkov of liberal Democratic Bulgaria will initially be prime minister. Halfway through his term of office, he will be replaced by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Maria Gabriel of the conservative GERB. That party emerged as the largest in the elections in April. Denkov then becomes deputy prime minister.

Priority now has to adopt a budget for this year. Another main goal in the coalition agreement is to join the group of 27 Schengen countries, so that Bulgarians can travel there visa-free. The new government also wants Bulgaria to join the group of countries that use the euro as currency.

The country with 6.5 million inhabitants is one of the most corrupt member states of the European Union, and nowhere in the EU is income inequality so great. To gain access to billions in Brussels subsidies, the new government promises to reform the legal system and fight corruption.

The new government wants to keep the country on a pro-Western course and keep Russian influence out as much as possible. The country is also positioning itself as a loyal ally of Ukraine in the war with Russia.