Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev handed the second government-forming mandate to GERB/SDS coalition. However, GERB/SDS immediately returned the mandate to President Radev. The country’s head of state announced that on July 15 he is to hold political consultations to decide which political force will be the recipient of the third exploratory mandate. According to the BNR, Rumen Radev will hand the third cabinet-forming mandate on July 18.

 On June 22, the ruling coalition headed by outgoing Premier Kiril Petkov lost the vote of no confidence in Parliament. "We Continue the Change" failed to secure a new majority with the first government-forming mandate.

President Radev pointed out that whether in government or in opposition, all parliamentary forces have the responsibility to find a way out of the deepening health and social crises and address the rising inflation.