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Bulgaria Votes in 8th Election in 5 Years Amid Political Turmoil

Bulgarians voted on Sunday in an early parliamentary election, the country's eighth such vote in just five years. The election was triggered after Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov's coalition government resigned in late 2025 following large-scale protests. A caretaker government, led by Andrey Gurov, has been in place since February after political groups failed to form a new administration. Exit polls are expected after voting closes, with final results announced by April 23.

Key Points: Bulgaria Holds 8th Parliamentary Election in 5 Years

  • Eighth parliamentary vote in five years
  • Over 6.5 million eligible voters
  • Follows government collapse in December 2025
  • Caretaker government led since February
  • Final results due by April 23
2 min read

Bulgaria holds 8th parliamentary election in 5 years

Bulgarians vote in an early parliamentary election, the 8th in five years, following the collapse of the previous coalition government.

"The elections became inevitable after Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov's coalition government resigned... amid large-scale protests. - Xinhua"

Sofia, April 19

Bulgarians went to the polls on Sunday to vote in the country's early parliamentary election, the eighth vote for the legislature in five years.

Nearly 6.6 million voters are eligible to elect 240 lawmakers among more than 4,700 candidates from 14 political parties and 10 coalitions, as well as one independent candidate, according to the Central Election Commission, reported Xinhua news agency.

The commission said that the polling stations in the country opened nationwide at 7 a.m. (local time) and are due to close at 8 p.m.

Meanwhile, polling stations in 55 countries and regions are available for Bulgarians living abroad to cast their ballots.

Exit polls will be announced immediately after stations close in Bulgaria, and the final results should be announced no later than April 23.

The elections became inevitable after Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov's coalition government resigned in December 2025 amid large-scale protests over the ruling majority's economic policy, and parliamentary parties subsequently failed to elect a new government.

Zhelyazkov's government took power on January 16 last year after snap elections in October 2024.

The National Assembly is Bulgaria's legislative body. It also elects the government by a simple majority and has a four-year term, except in certain circumstances, such as when it cannot elect a government.

Bulgaria is holding early parliamentary elections after the third and final attempt to form a government within the existing legislature failed in January.

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev offered the parliamentary group 'Alliance for Rights and Freedoms' (ARF) to form a government in January, but it declined, and the two largest parliamentary groups, GERB-UDF and PP-DB, also declined to do so in January this year.

Andrey Gurov was appointed as the caretaker prime minister in February by President Iliana Lotova.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
Interesting to see polling stations in 55 countries for Bulgarians abroad. We have NRI voting discussions here too, but the implementation is always so complex. Maybe we can learn from their system? 🤔
A
Arjun K
This reads like a case study in how not to run a democracy. Governments falling every few months, no one willing to take responsibility... reminds me of some of our own state-level politics, but nationally? Tough situation for Bulgaria.
S
Sarah B
While the political drama is concerning, I appreciate the detailed reporting. It's a good reminder that democratic processes, even when messy, are crucial. Hope the exit polls bring some clarity.
V
Vikram M
The economic policy protests leading to resignation sound familiar. Public sentiment can change governments anywhere. Let's see if this election brings a leader who can deliver stability and growth. All the best to the Bulgarian people!
K
Karthik V
With respect, the article feels a bit dry and could use more analysis on *why* this keeps happening. Is it the electoral system? Deep political divides? Just stating the sequence of events isn't enough for international readers.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

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