Bulgaria will hold a snap parliamentary election on Sunday, April 19, amid a political crisis in which weak coalitions have failed to thrive and trust in democratic elections has waned.The election, the eighth in five years for the Black Sea nation of some 6.5 million people on the European Union’s southeastern frontier, comes following the resignation of the previous government in December, following weeks of anticorruption protests.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listHere’s what we know about the upcoming polls:Why is there a snap parliamentary election?The snap election was announced by former Bulgarian President Rumen Radev in January after leading parties refused a mandate to replace the last government, which resigned amid widespread protests against corruption.Bulgaria has been racked by political instability for several years, with numerous governments proving unable to muster the support or unity necessary for political survival.Bulgaria has held seven national elections in the past four years – most recently in October 2024 – amid deep political and social divisions.The latest political crisis was triggered when Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov announced the resignation of his cabinet last December, minutes before parliament had been due to vote on a no-confidence motion.Zhelyazkov resigned after weeks of street protests against endemic state corruption and a planned 2026 budget that would have increased social security contributions and some taxes in a bid to plug state financing shortfalls.When do polls open?Polls are expected to open at 7am local time (04:00 GMT) and close by 8pm local time (17:00 GMT). Advertisement Citing a poll by Bulgarian research firm Alpha Research, the Bulgarian News Agency …
