Bulgaria’s presidents invites 3rd party to form government

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgaria’s president has handed a mandate to form a government to the third-largest political party in parliament following the failure of two previous attempts. Socialist Party leader Kornelia Ninova, said Friday that her party would invite three groups that emerged from anti-corruption protests last year to discuss creating a coalition government. Bulgarian President Rumen Radev previously gave mandates to the prime minister-designates of the anti-establishment There is Such a People and former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov’s GERB party. Analysts say the Socialist-led talks are likely to fail. If that happens, the president must dissolve parliament, appoint a caretaker government and schedule another early parliamentary election, the third this year.