Weary Bulgarians go to polls for fifth time in two years

Bulgaria's stance on Russia's war in Ukraine could be crucial to election

GERB party leader Boyko Borisov (L) speaks to a voter outside a polling station in Sofia on Sunday. AFP

Voting opened on Sunday in Bulgaria’s fifth parliamentary election in two years, amid rising resentment towards the political elite, which much of the electorate regards as unwilling to tackle economic reforms.

Opinion polls show the ballot will likely leave Bulgaria short of a functioning parliamentary majority once again, casting doubt over its ambitions to join the eurozone and use EU Covid recovery aid.

In the running is a coalition of the centre-right GERB party of former long-serving prime minister Boyko Borissov, 63, and its small Union of Democratic Forces (SDS) partner, as well as the newly established coalition of the pro-western We Continue the Change (PP) party and reformist Democratic Bulgaria (DB).

"Regardless of which of the two comes first, it does not solve the big question — what are the prospects of forming a government?" Genoveva Petrova of Alpha Research said.

"Parties in Bulgaria have had four interim parliaments to realise that there is no political force at the moment that has not just an absolute majority but a large enough advantage to set the agenda."

The two coalitions are virtually neck-and-neck in opinion polls, with the latest by Exacta Research Group showing them at 26.2 per cent and 25.6 per cent, respectively, and the nationalist Revival party at 12.8 per cent.

Complicating coalition building are accusations by many of his political rivals that Mr Borissov had failed to stop corruption in the country during his decade-long rule that ended in 2021, a charge he denies.

The independent politician Galab Donev, 56, has been Bulgaria’s caretaker Prime Minister since August.

"It is not normal to not have any political dialogue, there is no will ... to consolidate so that things get better," said Ivailo Atanasov, 47, in Sofia.

At stake could also be Bulgaria's stance on Russia's war in Ukraine. Once an ally of President Vladimir Putin, Sofia has supported Kyiv since Moscow launched what it calls its special military operation in Ukraine.

The two coalitions in the running on Sunday want Bulgaria to maintain its pro-Ukraine stance but Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, who has wielded much power throughout the political instability, has pushed for a more nuanced approach.

Voting closes at 8pm local time (1700 GMT).