Bulgaria's new parl holds inaugural session

The 49th National Assembly was dissolved simultaneously with the swearing-in of the new members, the parliament said in a statement.

In the June 9 snap general election, the centre-right GERB-UDF coalition, led by former prime minister Boyko Borissov, won 24.7% of the votes, according to final data from the Central Electoral Commission (CEC). Six other political formations, including two pro-Russian parties, crossed the 4% threshold for entry into the 240-seat unicameral legislature.

GERB-UDF now holds 68 seats in parliament. The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), which draws support mainly from Bulgarian ethnic Turk population, and the reformist coalition comprising We Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria (WCC-DB) control 47 and 39 seats, respectively.

Staunchly nationalist and pro-Russian Vazrazhdane party, the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and the populist party There is Such a People (TISP) have 38, 19 and 16 seats, respectively. Pro-Russian nationalist party Velichie, which has entered parliament for the first time, has 13 seats.

Under the country's constitution, president Rumen Radev should hand the first exploratory mandate to form a government to GERB-UDF, which would need to partner with at least two other political formations to secure majority in the new parliament.