A center-right coalition in Bulgaria is tapped to form a new government

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has tapped the largest group in parliament, the center-right GERB-UDF coalition, to form the country’s new government. Accepting the mandate, Prime Minister-designate Rosen Zhelyazkov on Monday presented a proposal for a Cabinet and asked the president to send it to parliament for approval. The 56-year-old lawyer and former parliament speaker, who has served in different ministerial positions in previous governments, said that the new Cabinet was “a team of experts and seasoned politicians from GERB”. He outlined stabilizing of public finances as a priority and stressed the need for continuity in Bulgaria’s European perspective.