Bulgarians are voting to elect a new parliament, after mass protests toppled the previous conservative-led government in December.
Published April 19, 2026
Bulgarians have begun voting in the eighth parliamentary elections in five years, after mass protests toppled the previous conservative-led government in December.
Polling stations opened at 07:00 local time (04:00 GMT) and will close at 17:00 GMT, according to AFP journalists.
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Sunday's vote is important as it could bring a left-wing, pro-Russian former president, Rumen Radev, to power just days after voters in Hungary rejected the authoritarian policies and far-right global movement of Viktor Orban, who cultivated close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The December protests brought hundreds of thousands of people, mainly young people, to the streets. Protesters called for an independent judiciary to tackle widespread corruption.
Radev, a former air force general, has said he wants to rid the country of its “oligarchic model of government” and backed anti-corruption protests late last year that toppled the conservative-backed government.
He has advocated renewing ties with Russia and has criticized sending military aid to Ukraine. He relinquished the largely ceremonial presidency in January to launch his bid to lead the government as prime minister.
He leads the newly formed center-left group, Progressive Bulgaria. Opinion polls before Sunday's vote suggested he could win 35 percent of the vote.
Since 2021, the nation of 6.5 million people has struggled with fragmented parliaments that produced weak governments. None managed to survive more than a year before being brought down by street protests or backroom deals in parliament.
