Kiril Petkov

Regardless of how the dispute with neighbour North Macedonia ends - an issue that divided the coalition - the political confrontation will only deepen.

"Bulgaria sends aid to Ukraine through Poland". In practice, the resigned Bulgarian Prime Minister Kiril Petkov admitted this in an interview with the Guardian, given before the no-confidence vote this Wednesday.

His statement comes after a question about how Bulgaria's position on the war will change if it fails to form a new coalition.

On Thursday night, French President Emmanuel Macron called on Bulgarian politicians "from across the political spectrum" to support a compromise proposed by France that would allow the lifting of Bulgaria's veto over the start of membership talks with North Macedonia.

Another early parliamentary election seems increasingly likely after the overthrow of Kiril Petkov's government, and the earliest realistic date for this is set for September 25, according to unofficial comments from the main parliamentary forces.

Kiril Petkov will resign as prime minister on Monday morning in order for procedural consultations with the president, to form a new cabinet, to begin. This was said by Petkov himself from Brussels after the EU-Western Balkans meeting.

"On Monday morning. There is no problem. We will fill in the documents immediately and submit them," Petkov said.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell is disappointed that Bulgaria continues to block talks with Albania and the Republic of North Macedonia (RNM).

Prime Minister Kirill Petkov blamed the mafia and Russia for the fall of his reformist government, foreign media reported after the first successful no-confidence vote in Bulgaria, which toppled the cabinet yesterday.

At the EU-Western Balkans summit in Brussels and at the meeting of European leaders after that, no concrete proposal is expected from Bulgaria to lift its veto on North Macedonia.

"We Continue the Change" (WCC) is ready to take the first term to form a government and try to find 121 independent deputies for the new cabinet.

Representatives of GERB together with the chairman of the party Boyko Borissov gave a statement to the media.

"The text of the French proposal for a negotiating framework with the RNM is very good", said former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov.