Bulgarian Government Deal Hits the Rocks Over Leaked Wiretaps

Bulgaria’s long-awaited coalition deal may face collapse, prolonging a years-long political crisis, as the Balkan country’s biggest party put talks to form a government talks on hold.

The two main parties reached an agreement last week to run the country jointly — including exchanging prime ministers on a rotational basis every nine months — in a bid to end a stalemate that’s led to five inconclusive elections since 2021. The turmoil has hindered Bulgaria’s goal to join the Schengen area and adopt the euro in 2024, and has delayed European Union recovery funding.