SOFIA (Reuters) - A former Bulgarian interior minister was charged with abuse of power on Wednesday in a wiretapping scandal that has damaged the public's trust in politicians. Tsvetan Tsvetanov, a senior politician with the now-opposition GERB party, was accused of not imposing enough controls over employees when he was minister, allowing them to carry out illegal wiretaps of politicians and businessmen. He faces eight years in prison if found guilty.

Plamen Oresharski, confirmed Wednesday as Bulgaria's new prime minister at the head of a Socialist-backed technocrat government, is a non-partisan economist under no illusions about the challenges facing the EU's poorest country. "The country is in a deep institutional crisis, continuing economic depression and worsening disintegration of society," the 53-year-old told parliament Wednesday before it approved his new cabinet.

SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria's largest party GERB declined on Thursday to try to form a new government, opening the way for the rival Socialists to put together a technocrat administration and end a political impasse. The center-right GERB won most seats in a May 12 election in the European Union's poorest country but cannot command a majority, as other parties are shunning it after its resignation during protests against low living standards in February.

Bulgaria's president warned Tuesday the country was in a "political, social, economic and parliamentary crisis" as deputies met for the first time since inconclusive elections on May 12 in a bid to break the deadlock. Rosen Plevneliev urged lawmakers "not to deepen the crises but resolve them one by one" after both the outgoing conservatives and opposition socialists fell short of a governing majority. He said politicians must quickly form a government to resolve the stalemate and respond to the need for growth and jobs in Europe's poorest country.