Trending Now - Bulgaria's Election: Will Pro-russian Candidate Lead Change?

WHO:

Euronews - Rumen Radev, former president of Bulgaria, formed the Progressive Bulgaria coalition.

AP News - Boyko Borissov, leader of the center-right GERB party and former Prime Minister of Bulgaria.

AP News - Delyan Peevski, a controversial political figure sanctioned under the US Magnitsky Act.

AP News - Evelina Slavkova, from research center Trend.

WHAT:

Euronews - Bulgaria is holding its eighth parliamentary election in five years on April 19th, 2026.

Euronews - Radev's Progressive Bulgaria coalition is leading in polls with 33% support.

AP News - Radev's coalition is predicted to receive over 30% of the vote, nearly 10% ahead of Borissov.

AP News - Voter turnout is expected to increase from an average of 35% to over 50%.

AP News - Radev vowed to "remove the corrupt, oligarchic model of governance from political power."

AP News - Radev has ruled out alliances with Borissov's GERB or Peevski's party.

WHERE:

AP News - Bulgaria, a European Union and NATO member country with a population of 6.5 million.

Euronews - The election is taking place in Bulgaria.

WHEN:

AP News - The election is scheduled for April 19th, 2026.

Euronews - Radev resigned as president in January 2026.

AP News - The conservative-led government resigned in December 2025 amid protests.

WHY:

Euronews - The election follows five years of political instability and public protests against corruption.

AP News - The protests were fueled by anger over widespread corruption and injustice.

HOW:

AP News - The interim government has conducted nationwide police raids and arrests to boost confidence in the election.

Euronews - Radev positioned himself as the candidate to "break the oligarchy" and has criticized the EU for prioritizing ideology over economic pragmatism.

(UPDATED April 18, 2026 03:56 UTC)

Bulgaria is gearing up for its eighth parliamentary election in five years, set for April 19th, with Rumen Radev's Progressive Bulgaria coalition currently leading in the polls at 33% support. Radev, who resigned as president in January, has vowed to eliminate corruption and has ruled out any alliances with Boyko Borissov's GERB party or Delyan Peevski's party, while voter turnout is expected to rise significantly from an average of 35% to over 50%. This election comes on the heels of widespread protests against corruption, following the resignation of the conservative-led government in December 20th25.