New coalition government for Bulgaria

Bulgaria's parliament has elected a new government, which inherits the tough task of meeting the EU's 2007 entry requirements on time.

Following Tuesday's parliamentary vote, Sergei Stanishev, the socialist party leader takes over from ex - king Simeon Saxe-Coburg, as the country's new prime minister.

The 39 year old will now lead the country in partnership with the centre right National Movement for Simeon and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, made up of ethnic Turks.

The country's reform process, vital if it is to make the January 2007 target for EU entry, has been on hold for almost two months following inconclusive general elections in June.

"The first and immediate goal of the government must be EU membership. There is a real danger of having Bulgaria's membership delayed by a year," Stanishev said earlier this week.

Bulgaria and Romania, next in line to join the EU bloc, are subject to a "safeguard clause" which could delay Sofia's entry date by one year to 2008.

Sofia is in the process of overhauling its judicial system and other institutional reforms as part of preparations demanded by Brussels for planned EU entry in 2007.

But the reform process is not over, and the European Commission has warned that Bulgaria has little time to lose if it is to make the grade on time.

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