Second Borisov Government

The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) has a narrow edge on conservative GERB less than a month before the early election in March, a new poll shows.

According to the Market Links survey, some 21.4% of respondents would vote for the BSP if elections were to be held on February 27.

A key ex-ruling party official has accused the caretaker cabinet of Bulgaria of using its office to create faultlines, make appointments to the administration and creating "fake news", instead of organizing the early election in March.

Former Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has admitted to being aware of irregularities in an operational program managed by the Education Ministry back in 2016, while he was in office.

Borisov, however, has made it clear he refrained from radical action on purpose to preserve the stability of the government.

Former Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Meglena Kuneva has said she will not be running to become a lawmaker in the snap vote on March 26.

At a press conference, Kuneva has also said she is giving the way to younger generations.

The election body of Bulgaria has said it is launching the registration of political parties for the upcoming parliamentary vote in March.

A snap election is due on March 26, several months after the government of Boyko Borisov stepped down.

A "non-partisan", right-wing alliance called New Republic (originally "Nova Republika") is to be formally launched on Tuesday, seeking to offer an alternative to GERB party of Boyko Borisov in the coming election.

Radan Kanev, the leader of DSB party which broke away from the Reformist Bloc, is the driving force behind the project.

Newly-elected European Parliament President Antonio Tajani has spoken with outgoing Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, the latter has said.

On Facebook, Borisov has announced he called Tajani to congratulate him on his election on Tuesday.

The new EU Parliament head voiced his confidence GERB would win back Bulgarian citizens' trust, according to the Facebook post.

"The Bulgarian EU presidency is a way to attract attention to the [Balkan] region," Meglena Kuneva, Bulgaria's deputy prime minister in charge of European policies said on Tuesday as she presented the logo for the country's six-month presidency of the European Council, which will start on January 1, 2018.

GERB, the main party in Bulgaria's outgoing government, will ask some thousands of its members on the coalition policy it should pursue after the early election due this spring.

Emailed polls will require of more than 20 000 GERB members to have a say on which the party's "natural partners" are, according to daily 24 Chasa.

The chairman of GERB Tsvetan Tsvetanov was adamant that his party will not form a coalition in order to govern the country.

This became clear from an interview with Tsvetanov on Nova TV on Saturday.

According to him, BSP is coming back to power not through the elections held but in the shape of a caretaker cabinet and the choice reached via President Rumen Radev.