After Hungary, will the Budapest effect spread to Bulgaria as the country prepares to vote Sunday?
Euronews.com • • world
Key Points:
- Bulgaria is holding its eighth parliamentary election in five years, with former president Rumen Radev's Progressive Bulgaria coalition leading polls at 33% amid hopes to end chronic political instability.
- The country has experienced near-constant government crises, caretaker administrations, and scandals over five years, with public trust and voter turnout declining sharply.
- Radev, who resigned as president in January, has positioned himself as an anti-oligarchy figure, criticizing both domestic elites and the EU's ideological stance, while his past positions on Russia and Ukraine have been controversial.
- Despite leading in polls, Radev is unlikely to secure a majority, and coalition-building appears difficult due to entrenched political rivalries, especially with GERB and Peevski’s factions.
- The election outcome is critical for Bulgaria’s domestic stability and EU relations, with Brussels closely monitoring potential impacts on European integration and regional security.
