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Bulgarians voted Sunday in their eighth parliamentary election in five years, with former president Rumen Radev entering the day as the leading force in pre-election polling, according to Reuters reporting carried by The Guardian and an AP preview of the race. The snap vote follows the December 2025 collapse of the previous government, putting political stability, corruption and Bulgaria's foreign-policy direction back at the center of the country's crisis-era politics.
Key developments
- Radev, a former air force commander and outgoing president, resigned in January to run for government. Polls cited by AP and Reuters via ThePrint put his Progressive Bulgaria coalition above 30% and around 35%, comfortably ahead of former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov's GERB party.
- That lead does not guarantee control of parliament. Reuters said a result in that range would still leave Radev short of a majority, meaning coalition talks are likely to matter as much as the vote itself. AP also reported that Radev has ruled out alliances with GERB and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, narrowing his options.
- The election comes after years of churn. Euronews and AP both describe a political system stuck in repeated resets, with governments falling to protests, corruption scandals or parliamentary dealmaking before lasting even a full term.
- Turnout is one of the day's biggest variables. Reuters cited an Alpha Research forecast of about 60%, far above the 34% recorded in June 2024, while AP said authorities had stepped up police action against vote-buying in an effort to bolster confidence in the vote.
What to watch
The next question is not only whether Radev finishes first, but whether the early count confirms a large enough lead to shape coalition talks on his terms. Reuters identified the pro-European PP-DB alliance as one possible partner, but AP noted serious disagreements over Russia and military support for Ukraine, which could make any deal difficult.
The broader test is whether this vote breaks Bulgaria's pattern of short-lived governments. The EU and NATO member joined the eurozone on January 1, 2026, and the campaign has mixed cost-of-living frustrations with renewed debate over corruption and ties to Moscow. If the result again produces a fractured parliament, the pressure for yet another reset may return quickly.
Sources
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