Bulgarians head to polls for eighth time in five years
Al Jazeera • • general
Key Points:
- Bulgarians began voting in their eighth parliamentary election in five years following mass protests that ousted the previous conservative-led government in December.
- The election could bring former President Rumen Radev, a left-leaning, pro-Russian candidate, to power as prime minister; he has criticized Bulgaria's military aid to Ukraine and advocates renewing ties with Russia.
- Radev resigned from the mainly ceremonial presidency to run for prime minister, campaigning on anticorruption and ending the "oligarchic governance model" in Bulgaria.
- Bulgaria has experienced ongoing political instability since 2021, with weak coalition governments failing to last more than a year amid protests and parliamentary conflicts.
- The pro-European GERB party, led by former leader Boyko Borissov, is expected to finish second in the polls, followed by the liberal PP-DB alliance.
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