Bulgaria votes for fifth time in two years
Metro Plus
Bulgarians will vote in their fifth general election in two years on Sunday, a record in the European Union, amid deep divisions over Ukraine's war. Russia's invasion of its neighbor has exacerbated the political crisis that has engulfed Bulgaria since 2020, the worst instability since the fall of Communism.
The 6.5 million-strong Balkan country is a member of the EU and NATO. However, it is traditionally and culturally connected to Russia.
Three years ago, the nation saw massive anti-corruption rallies, but instead of cleaning up public life, the demonstrations triggered a series of elections.
Conservative Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, whose decade in office was marred by graft accusations, will leave office in 2021.
So This Happened (202) Examines Lagos Businessman's Arrest...
However, the country's political parties have struggled to create stable coalitions since, resulting in a deeply divided parliament and a succession of interim governments.
"What if the results repeat previous legislative elections?"" inquired Silvia Radoeva, a 42-year-old caregiver.
"It's past time for politicians to band together to address everyday issues," Radoeva told AFP, citing "crazy prices, poverty, and deplorable medical care."
- 'Concerning loop' -
"With war and inflation, (Bulgarian) society is crying out for a solution," Parvan Simeonov, a Gallup International political analyst, told AFP.
Many 2020 protesters are disillusioned because the battle against corruption has taken a back seat.
The major candidates in Sunday's election are the same as in previous elections.
According to the most recent surveys, Borisov's GERB party is neck and neck with the reformist We Continue the Change (PP), which is headed by Harvard-educated Kiril Petkov, who was briefly prime minister in 2022.
Both have roughly 25% approval.
This time, the PP has joined hands with Democratic Bulgaria, a small right-wing coalition.
"We see the same pattern as in other Central European countries: a former leader who refuses to ally with him and other parties who refuse to ally with him," said Lukas Macek, assistant researcher at the Jacques Delors Institute for Central and Eastern Europe.
- Pro-Russian sentiment -
"I am concerned about the influence of pro-Russian parties in the next parliament," Ognian Peychev, a 60-year-old engineer, told AFP at a recent anti-war demonstration in Ukraine.
According to polls, the ultra-nationalist Vazrazhdane party, which supports the Kremlin's war, stands to win around 13% of the vote, up from 10% in the previous general election in October.
The Socialist BSP, Bulgaria's Communist Party's successor, has also sided with Moscow and opposes sending weapons to Ukrainian troops.
Many Bulgarians still look east, remembering Russia as the nation that, in 1878, ended five centuries of Ottoman rule.
"Both Petkov and Borisov are overly critical of Russia," said Mariana Valkova, a 62-year-old businesswoman who previously worked in the Soviet Union.
"I'd rather not have a government and keep (President Rumen) Radev in charge."
Petkov and his allies have been labeled "war mongers" by pro-Russian Radev, who has named interim cabinets in the midst of a string of inconclusive elections.
He has also spoken out against arming Ukraine.
Simultaneously, Bulgaria's munitions factories have been operating at maximum capacity, producing ammunition for export to Kyiv via third countries.
On Sunday, polling locations will open at 7:00 a.m. (0400 GMT).
After the polls close at 8:00 p.m., the first exit polls are anticipated. (1700 GMT).
Leave A Comment