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Projected Voter Support (Alpha Research)
Polling data comparing leading political parties in the upcoming election.
Primary Sources
Bulgaria at a Crossroads: Snap Parliamentary Election to Decide the ...
The electoral shockwave that began with Orban’s defeat may now reach Bulgaria. A week after Hungary’s long-serving prime minister Viktor Orban lost power after 16 years in office, another crucial snap vote is set to decide Bulgaria’s future. This Sunday, the country will hold its eighth early parliamentary election in the past five years. The electoral shockwave that began with Orban’s defeat may now reach Bulgaria, which is also standing at a domestic and foreign policy crossroads that could deepen further depending on the outcome of the vote. The April 19 election was called after the government of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov, nominated by Boyko Borissov’s GERB-UDF alliance, the largest force in parliament, resigned. The resignation came on December 11, 2025, after mass nationwide protests involving hundreds of thousands of people in Bulgaria and among Bulgarian communities abroad. The demonstrations began as opposition to the government’s planned 2026 state budget, but quickly turned into a broader outcry against Borissov and Delyan Peevski, the leader of DPS-New Beginning, who has been sanctioned under the Magnitsky Act. Even as he stepped down, Zhelyazkov himself acknowledged the moral force behind the protests, saying: “We realise that this protest was against arrogance, against overconfidence... And this is a protest for values.” His government, however, insisted that it had fulfilled its main priorities: Bulgaria’s entry into Schengen and the eurozone, as well as preserving the country’s macroeconomic stability. A day later, parliament voted on the resignation and approved it unanimously, with 227 votes in favour and not a single vote against or abstention. The fall of the Zhelyazkov cabinet deepened the political crisis, leading to the handing out of mandates, the appointment of Andrey Gyurov’s caretaker government in February 2026, and ultimately the scheduling of snap parliamentary elections for April 19, 2026. Although the resignation was approved in early December, President Rumen Radev, who under the Constitution is required to nominate a caretaker prime minister, only began consultations a month later in search of a suitable person for the post. After initial talks with the political parties, Radev resigned on January 19, leaving the procedure for appointing a caretaker prime minister and calling the election in the hands of Vice President Iliana Iotova. Back in September 2025, Radev had announced that he was considering launching a pol...
Watch: Sunday elections — Bulgaria's fight for stable government?
Published on 17/04/2026 - 9:46 GMT+2 On paper, Bulgaria is a recent European success story, having finally adopted the euro on the first of January and joined Schengen. But there is a big euro hangover. On the ground, citizens feel impoverished and ignored by the political class. This profound frustration has set the stage for a bitter showdown between two major figures. On one side is Boyko Borissov. He is the veteran centre-right leader of the GERB party. While firmly pro-European, he was plagued by scandals during his decade in power, making him the symbol of the entrenched establishment. Facing him is Rumen Radev, the left-leaning former president who sensationally resigned in January to run for prime minister. Radev is riding a wave of popular anger, campaigning to dismantle the oligarchy. But his vocal opposition to military aid for Ukraine and softer stance on Moscow have left Western allies alarmed. And although polls show Radev leading Borissov 31% to 21%, neither is close to a majority, leaving the winner to inevitably cobble together a complicated coalition. The battle for control is fierce. Just weeks before the vote, authorities detained over 200 people for electoral coercion. The tactics are shocking. Some local officials tricked individuals into believing their state-funded winter heating and hot lunches were personal gifts from politicians. Sunday is about much more than electing a government. It will determine whether the country can finally address these deep structural problems and rebuild public trust in the political system. Watch the Euronews video in the player above for the full story.
EXPLAINER - Bulgaria heads to snap parliamentary election in bid to end ...
Bulgaria will hold snap parliamentary elections on Sunday in the latest attempt to break a prolonged period of political instability that has gripped the country for nearly five years.
Bulgaria heads to 8th election in 5 years as Radev leads polls
B ulgaria will hold its eighth general election in five years on Sunday, with a new political grouping led by former president Rumen Radev tipped to win a vote many hope will end years of instability. Radev, a former air force general, resigned earlier this year after nine years in office to lead the center-left Progressive Bulgaria coalition. The election comes amid voter fatigue, deep ...
