Bulgaria is preparing for its eighth election in five years and stepping up its fight against vote-buying
The Bulgarian government has promised tougher measures against voter bribery and manipulation ahead of the April 19 snap parliamentary elections.
Politico reports this.
This will be the eighth parliamentary election in the last five years.
Interim Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov stated that the government intends to ensure a fair electoral process and maintain a neutral stance.
The elections were called following mass protests in December over allegations of corruption and erosion of the rule of law, which led to the collapse of the center-right coalition.
In recent weeks, law enforcement has detained more than 200 people as part of a campaign against voter bribery and coercion.
Abuses were documented, in particular, in social assistance programs—heating subsidies and free meals.
There have also been cases of misinformation directed at voters regarding the alleged “partisan” nature of government payments.
In addition, a Russian citizen was detained in the city of Stara Zagora on suspicion of falsifying results through the local election commission.
A test train service between Ukraine and Bulgaria via Romania is planned to launch in the summer of 2026.
Bulgarian police detained 30 people as part of a large-scale operation to combat voter bribery ahead of the early parliamentary elections.
