Bulgarian government survives third no-confidence vote
Source: Reuters
Bulgaria's Socialist-led coalition survived its third no-confidence vote on Wednesday, a motion that underscored a persistent threat to a government hobbled by street protests and political squabbles since taking office last year.
The opposition GERB party had called for the vote, accusing the government of failing to deal with an influx of thousands of Syrian refugees and of failing to stem a rise in car thefts and burglaries in the European Union's poorest country.
As was widely expected, Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski's minority coalition struck down the motion by 116 votes, out of a total of 217 lawmakers who took part. It survived two similar votes over its investment policies in October.
Oresharski's coalition looked as though it might fall last year when tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Sofia in anti-corruption protests. The protests have since dwindled and political analysts expect the government to limp on at least until European Parliament elections in late May.
Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/12/us-bulgaria-government-idUSBREA1B0DL20140212
