site.btaUPDATED Both European and Snap Parliamentary Elections in Bulgaria to Be Held June 9

The European and snap parliamentary elections in Bulgaria to be held simultaneously on June 9, President Rumen Radev said on Friday. 

He said that on Tuesday he will issue three decrees - one for a caretaker cabinet, one for the European parliamentary elections and one for the Bulgarian snap parliamentary elections. Bulgarians will have two-in-one elections on June 9, Radev said. He expressed hope that this way voter turnout will be higher and the state can save resources. 

Article 109 of the Constitution says that the government takes an oath before the National Assembly, the President said. The head of state told the political formations that they had time until "the outcome of the day on Monday" to address their claims and advice to prime minister-designate Dimitar Glavchev. Radev said that early on Tuesday morning he will sign a decree for the caretaker cabinet and two other decrees for the European elections and the national parliamentary elections. Then he will talk to Parliament Chair Rosen Zhelyazkov for the government to take the oath of office in the National Assembly. 

Radev noted that that it is no coincidence that he is holding consultations in the presence of Glavchev so that he can hear first-hand the objections and claims of the parties. The president said that according to the amended Constitution, it is the responsibility of the prime minister-designate and he should decide whether to comply with party claims or not.

"Claims of opposition do not mean lack of political responsibility because every party, especially those represented in Parliament, must have responsibility and above all respect for the Constitution of the Republic of Bulgaria," the President said in relation to the absence of representatives of the BSP for Bulgaria parliamentary group at the consultations. 

"The only payment under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan was during the caretaker government. Hopefully, we will finally receive the second payment, since the regular governments cannot, again during the caretaker government," Radev told Glavchev. "We are apparently the only country that set political conditions that it cannot fulfil in its own parliament in order to unblock the payment under the Recovery and Resilience Plan," the president said.

Radev shared his concerns about Bulgaria's financial situation. He advised Glavchev to pick a caretaker Finance Minister who should make a thorough analysis of the state's finances and come out clearly to announce what is at stake. This forcibly imposed three percent deficit is in danger of kicking up this year, as is inflation. This is one of the things that the parliament should monitor, Radev said.