Bulgaria forms caretaker government ahead of April elections

Sofia: Bulgarian President Iliana Yotova formed a caretaker government on Wednesday, ahead of another round of parliamentary elections in April, to address the country’s political instability and economic woes. Yotova described the new interim government’s most important task as preparing for fair elections. She also cited the urgent need to allay public fears about rising prices of goods and services following the country’s adoption of the single European currency in January. The president also said the interim cabinet should be formally sworn in at a special ceremony in parliament, and she would issue a decree calling early parliamentary elections on April 19. The resignation of the current governing coalition, led by the center-right GERB party, followed nationwide protests in late 2025, sparked by public anger over corruption, injustice, and perceived oligarchic influence. This fall, the election helped pave the way for new elections—the eighth since April 2021—which analysts expect could increase the number of seats held by nationalist and pro-Russian groups. Interim Prime Minister Andrei Gurov, 50, holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Truman State University in Missouri and a Ph.D. from the University of Vienna in Austria. After holding senior positions in academia and European financial institutions, he was appointed Deputy Governor of the Central Bank of Bulgaria in Sofia in 2023. Previously, he was also a lawmaker and floor leader of the reformist “We Continue the Change” group in parliament. The new caretaker premier will be supported by a cabinet of experts to carry out his main tasks: ensuring fair and transparent elections and restoring public confidence in institutions, which has been eroded by political uncertainty in EU and NATO member countries. Gurov is set to lead Bulgaria’s 12th caretaker government, half of which were appointed by former head of state Rumen Radev. He stepped down as president to launch his own political party and will run as a candidate in the snap election.