Bulgarian political crisis casts shadow over Balkans summit

BRUSSELS (AP) — A Bulgarian government crisis tarnished a European Union summit Thursday that was intended to bolster the EU membership hopes of Balkan countries. Bulgaria’s parliament approved a no-confidence motion Wednesday on the coalition government of Prime Minister Kiril Petkov, presenting an obstacle to the long-delayed start of the EU’s accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania. All three countries belong to NATO, but Bulgaria has used its status as an EU member to block the other two from proceeding on the path to join the 27-nation European bloc. Bulgaria has a dispute with North Macedonia over ethnicity and language. Its stance has also stalled Albania’s progress because the EU is treating the pair as a political package.