The Socialist Party in Bulgaria was given a third and final mandate by President Rumen Radev on Monday to form a new government and avoid early elections.
If the Socialists fail, the country will be set for an early parliamentary election - the fourth since April 2021.
The four-party-coalition under Prime Minister Kiril Petkov lost its parliamentary majority in June after the populist ITN party, led by entertainer Slavi Trifonov, left the coalition.
Petkov is now only acting head of government and his pro-western PP party failed to find a parliamentary majority some two weeks ago.
The second largest party GERB, led by former prime minister Boyko Borisov, decided to hand the right to form a coalition back immediately. The Socialists now have a third and final attempt.
The ITN split over disagreements regarding the government's stance on North Macedonia and its financial policy. The other two coalition partners - the socialists and the conservative-liberal-green alliance DB, as well as some members of ITN - had remained loyal to the government.
Socialist leader Korneliya Ninova said that the largest political force - in this case PP - should provide the new head of government.
She plans to start talks with the PP and the two other former coalition partners as early as Tuesday.
