Bulgarian leftists snub ex-king, deadlock extended

Bulgaria's Socialists yesterday ruled out a coalition with ex-king Simeon Saxe-Coburg as Prime Minister, leaving little hope for a quick end to a post-election stalemate threatening the country's EU accession path.

The opposition leftists won Saturday's poll but fell well short of a majority and are looking to Saxe-Coburg's second-ranking ruling centrists and other parties as potential government partners.

The former boy-king who returned from half a century of communist exile to take power in 2001, has insisted he must lead any "grand coalition" with the Socialists. But Socialist leader Sergei Stanishev flatly rejected the demand.

"Any future coalition should be led by the party which won most votes in the elections. Bulgaria has no time to waste and we cannot allow ourselves to get stuck in haggling," Mr Stanishev said after a post-election strategy meeting.

Asked if his party would consider a Prime Minister from outside its ranks, he said: "No".

Analysts say the leftists' stance signals a protracted power struggle with Saxe-Coburg, which could endanger Bulgaria's ambitions to join the EU in 2007.

The former monarch did not respond to the Socialists' snub, saying negotiations would take time.

"Consultations started yesterday. We need a lot more time," he told reporters. "All options are being examined... the aim is to rule the country in the best possible way."

Amid growing anti-enlargement sentiment in the EU after the French and Dutch rejected the bloc's charter, Brussels has warned it will keep Bulgaria back for a year if it does not finish reforms such as overhauling an inefficient judicial system.

Any EU postponement would not only be a blow to investors eager to see Bulgaria join the eurozone, but also to Bulgarians weary of the sacrifices they have made to join the EU.

On Monday, the EU said the "clock was ticking" for the poor Balkan state to form a government and tackle reforms.

Bulgarian media chided the former monarch for his opposition to joining a coalition he does not lead.