In Bulgaria, President Rumen Radev has ordered the formation of a new Socialist Party government in an attempt to end a protracted political crisis.
This was reported by the Reuters agency.
Bulgaria's two largest political parties, the center-right GERB and the anti-corruption Let's Continue Change, failed to find the support to form a viable coalition government after the Oct. 2 election, the country's fourth in less than two years.
Bulgaria is experiencing political instability following mass anti-corruption protests in 2020. For most of the past two years, the country has been governed by interim governments of technocrats in the absence of a stable elected coalition.
"We understand the seriousness of the situation. We will do everything we can to ensure a permanent government," Socialist leader Kornelia Ninova said after accepting the mandate from Radev.
The Socialists will hold talks with all other political parties in parliament, but analysts say their chances of success are slim. Most likely, new elections will be held in the spring.
Both GERB and "Continuing Change" announced that they would not support a socialist-led government. Both parties have already tried to form a workers' government, but failed.
If the Socialists fail, the president must dissolve parliament and call early elections within two months.