Valeri Simeonov

The negotiation teams of Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) and United Patriots - NFSB, Ataka, and VMRO are holding a meeting at the National Assembly building in relation to forming a government, according to Focus News.

The co-chairman of the Coalition "United Patriots - NFSB, VMRO and Ataka" - Valeri Simeonov voiced dissatisfaction with the results the formation obtains and admitted that he expected them to be higher, according to BNR.

Bulgaria head's to a parliamentary election on March 26 amid a row over with Turkey over a new party representing Bulgaria's Turkish minority and protests aiming to prevent dual citizenship holders from Turkey casting their vote. 

The blockade of the Kapitan Andreevo border checkpoint with Turkey has been lifted, but the organizers from the United Patriots coalition voiced readiness to again stop traffic before the snap parliamentary elections on 26 March, according to BNR.

Leaders and supporters of the United Patriots blockaded Bulgaria's main checkpoint with Turkey, Kapitan Andreevo, at 10am on Tuesday, claiming they were seeking to stop busloads of Bulgarian Turks arriving from Turkey to vote in the weekend's parliamentary elections.

Bulgaria’s Foreign Ministry said on March 16 that it was recalling its ambassador in Ankara, Nadezhda Neynsky, for consultations.

GERB leader and former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov enjoys the highest approval rating among Bulgarian politicians, a poll by Alpha Research agency has shown.

As many as 31.9% have of respondents approve him, more than three months after he submitted his resignation as Prime Minister and a month since he left office, according to data released on Monday.

Former lawmaker Valentin Nikolov has quit the Patriotic Front coalition, rejecting its move to run together with far-right Ataka party in the upcoming early election.

Nikolov has followed the example of Dimitar Bayraktarov, calling the coalition "unprincipled" in an interview with private broadcaster NOVA TV.

The leaders of the parties that form part of Bulgaria's nationalist United Patriots coalition - the National Front for Salvation of Bulgaria, NFSB, VMRO and the extreme-right Ataka party, have accused their mainstream rivals of copying their key ideas ahead of the elections on March 26.

Patriotic Front (PF) co-leader Krasimir Karakachanov has downplayed any division existing between the two main parties within the nationalist alliance or among other of its parties.

In an interview with public broadcaster BNT, Karakachanov has blamed "hybrid warfare" for the reports he is increasingly at odds with Valeri Simeonov, the chairman of NFSB party and also PF co-leader.