Bulgarians head to the polls to elect a parliament for the eighth time in 5 years

A man casts his ballot during an early election at a polling station in Sofia on Sunday, April 19, 2026. (AP Photo/Valentina Petrova) 2026-04-19T04:00:44Z Sofia, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgarians are heading to the polls on Sunday for the eighth time in five years, hoping to finally elect a parliament able to resolve the longtime political impasse that has gripped this Balkan country . The snap vote follows the resignation of a conservative-led government amid nationwide protests last December that drew hundreds of thousands, mainly young people, to the streets. The protesters called for an independent judiciary to tackle widespread corruption. Since 2021, the nation of 6.5 million has struggled with fragmented parliaments that produced weak governments, none of which managed to survive more than a year before being brought down by street protests or backroom deals in parliament. The revolving door of governments has fostered widespread public mistrust, voter apathy and a shrinking turnout in elections. Still, Sunday’s vote is significant as it could bring to power a left-leaning, pro-Russian former president — just days after Hungarian voters rejected the authoritarian policies and global far-right movement of Viktor Orbán, who cultivated close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin . The front-runner, Bulgaria’s former President Rumen Radev , is leading a newly formed, center-left Bulgaria" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="118564" data-entity-type="organization">Progressive Bulgaria coalition. He resigned from the mostly ceremonial presidency in January , a few months before the end of his second term, to launch a bid to lead the government as prime minister. (