Bulgaria premier resigns after party loses presidential vote
SOFIA, Bulgaria — Bulgaria’s prime minister handed in his resignation to parliament Monday after results showed his party losing badly in the presidential runoff, opening the way for an early parliamentary election.
Boiko Borisov’s move comes after official results show Socialist-backed candidate Rumen Radev, a former non-partisan air force chief, winning the presidential election.
“We accept the will of the people and we congratulate those who have the support of the majority of the voters,” said Borisov, whose party had previously triumphed in all national elections over the last decade.
Halfway into its four-year term, Borisov’s coalition government has managed to restore political stability after months of anti-corruption protests. But its popularity has faded because of the slow pace of reforms to eliminate graft and poverty, and overhaul the judicial system.