Bulgaria's Socialists were scrabbling for support today to form a government to lead the Balkan state into the European Union in 2007, after winning parliamentary elections without securing an outright majority.
The inconclusive outcome of yesterday's vote could plunge the Black Sea country of 8 million into weeks of negotiations and uncertainty at a time when it must push on with EU-related reforms or risk having its entry delayed by a year.
With 98 per cent of the vote counted, official results showed the Socialists won 31.11 per cent - much lower than pre-election forecasts of 40 percent - versus 19.92 for ex-king Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg's ruling NMS centrists.
The mostly ethnic-Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), third-placed with 12.54 per cent of the vote, rushed to back the leftists. But pollsters said around six more seats were needed for a majority in the 240-seat parliament, raising the possibility of a wider, EU-focused coalition.
Led by Sergei Stanishev (39) the ex-communists quickly opened the door to all players except the nationalist Attack party, whose meteoric rise from obscurity to win 8.18 per cent of the vote was blamed for eroding Socialist support.
Most small right-wing parties have already turned down the offer, leaving the Socialists the option of either poaching deputies or entering talks with Mr Saxe-Coburg. "A three-party government is the only logical, stable outcome," said an EU diplomat who requested anonymity. "The main players are aware there is no room for delay and will not allow the country to enter a crisis."