Meglena Kuneva

Bulgaria has a clear economic and political interest in joining the Schengen Area and the accession in stages will be among the key goals of the government, according to Meglena Kuneva, Deputy Prime Minister for European Policy and Institutional Matters.

GERB sets a deadline till Monday for the Reformist Bloc (RB) to make up its mind on the political formula of the next Bulgarian government.

After a three-hour meeting with RB representatives, GERB MEP Tomislav Donchev told journalists there were three stages - finding of the right political formula, definition of decision-making mechanisms and the make-up of the government.

A surprising meeting was held Tuesday evening between Radan Kanev, co-Chairman of the Reformist Bloc, and members of GERB party's team tasked to carry out government consultations, sources say.

Right-wing Reformist Bloc's Parliament group heads have rejected a proposal made by GERB leader Boyko Borisov that the two parties co-form a minority cabinet.

After a session of the RB's lawmakers that followed consultations of all political parties in Parliament on Tuesday, both Radan Kanev and Meglena Kuneva said their alliance was not willing to join a minority coalition.

The leaders of the right-wing Reformist Bloc's two biggest parties are to head its parliamentary group if a government is formed, the leaders themselves confirmed on Sunday.

There is no other alternative if GERB points out Boyko Borisov as Prime Minister during the forthcoming government talks, a Reformist Bloc leader has reiterated.

Election results might show that the Reformist Bloc has already grown into a single political player, Radan Kanev, one of the bloc's leaders, announced.

Kanev, who heads the Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB), one of the partners of the right-wing coalition, said results came as a surprise to politicians, since they did not expect such a Parliament.

Co-founder and deputy chair of Bulgaria for Citizens Movement party Daniel Valchev has resigned, Monday.

In a letter to the party's national council, Valchev explained that his decision was a professional, rather than a political one, Trud Daily reports.

Svetoslav Malinov, the Reformist Bloc's "number two" in the coalition's European elections list, is to become MEP instead of top candidate Meglena Kuneva.

Malinov has "ousted" former EU Commissioner Kuneva as preferred MEP candidate by the Reformist Bloc's voters, according to reports by the Central Electoral Commission (CEC).

Meglena Kuneva, former Bulgarian Minister and MEP, will top the Reformist Bloc's list at the European Elections.