Bulgaria's government survives a no-confidence vote brought by a pro-Russia political party

Audio By Carbonatix

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria's government on Thursday survived a parliamentary vote of no-confidence brought by a pro-Russia political party over what it called a failure in the nation's foreign policy.

The motion by the Vazrazhdane party, backed by two small nationalist groups, criticized the government’s pro-Western stance, its support for Ukraine and the ongoing sanctions on Moscow.

The move was defeated in a 150-54 vote against the motion in the 240-seat parliament. The government's coalition Cabinet is led by the center-right GERB party.

Before the vote, analysts predicted the outcome, citing that a majority supports Bulgaria's pro-European orientation. The country has been a member of the European Union since 2007.

“For Vazrazhdane, the vote is a tool to amplify Russian narratives in the hybrid war against Bulgaria — a war Moscow wages with disinformation and subversive political tactics,” political analyst Ilian Vassilev said.

GERB condemned the no-confidence motion as an attempt to derail Bulgaria’s desire to adopt the euro currency at the beginning of 2026, which would consolidate its European integration.

Speaking to the media after the vote, Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov said that it has “confirmed Bulgaria’s European perspective and democratic development, which is what most of the Bulgarian people want.”