Early elections are being held in Bulgaria today, the eighth in a row within the last five years.
The paper's polls show Rumen Radev, the former president of Bulgaria, as the frontrunner. Radev has promised to give Bulgaria a new start if his center-left "Progressive Bulgaria" coalition wins the election.
"Progressive Bulgaria presents itself as an alternative to the corrupt cartel of old parties, which are attacking us with a series of dishonest tactics. Our goal in the upcoming elections is to secure an absolute majority," declared Rumen Radev - Candidate for Prime Minister.
The political campaign also featured Orban's defeat in Hungary, while former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov called Radev a new Viktor Orban.
"Viktor Orbán is an anti-communist and a friend who has achieved a lot, but the differences between us are considerable. Now we have a 'new Viktor Orbán' here in the person of Rumen Radev, and it is no coincidence that the Hungarian foreign minister visited him secretly," said – Boyko Borisov – GERB.
Analyst Evelina Slavkova said that Radev is unlikely to make any efforts to orient Bulgaria more towards Russia. However, she criticized Radev for not clarifying these things more precisely during the campaign.
"Our country has succeeded, despite all the obstacles and disagreements from some politicians, in building a very important package of mechanisms that keeps Bulgaria in the right direction. Bulgaria's membership in NATO and the European Union, as well as participation in the Eurozone and the Schengen Zone, are tools that allow us to be much calmer," emphasized Evelina Slavkova - analyst.
The snap elections in Bulgaria come after a conservative-led government resigned amid anti-corruption protests in December last year. No government has lasted more than a year since then-Prime Minister Boyko Borisov resigned in 2021. This has led to growing distrust of institutions, voter apathy and a decline in voter turnout.
