(Reuters) - Bulgaria's nationalist Attack party will work to topple the government if Sofia backs a new round of Western sanctions against Russia over its annexation of Crimea, the party's leader told Reuters in an interview on Tuesday.
Attack holds the balance of power in the Bulgarian parliament, and its threat is an extreme example of the domestic pressures European governments face in taking a position on the worst crisis in East-West relations since the Cold War.If the party pulls the plug on Prime Minister Plamen Oresharski's minority coalition government, it could tip the European Union's poorest member state back into political instability. Months of street protests felled one government last year and almost toppled its successor, at a time when the country was struggling to revive economic growth.
Bulgarian leaders' position in relation to the Ukraine crisis is especially precarious. On the one hand, the country has pushed for closer ties with the EU bloc, which it joined seven years ago. On the other hand, it is almost entirely dependent on Russian energy supplies, and many Bulgarians feel a deep affinity for their giant neighbour across the Black Sea.
Complete story at - Exclusive: Bulgarian nationalists may topple government over Russia sanctions | Reuters
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