Bulgarians Head to Polls in 8th Election in Five Years

(MENAFN) Bulgarians headed to the polls Sunday in yet another early parliamentary election — the eighth such vote in just five years — as the nation's prolonged political deadlock shows no sign of resolution.

According to the Central Election Commission, nearly 6.6 million eligible voters are deciding among more than 4,700 candidates vying for 240 legislative seats, representing 14 political parties, 10 coalitions, and one independent contender.

The Commission confirmed that polling stations across the country swung open at 7 a.m. local time (0400 GMT) and are scheduled to close at 8 p.m. (1700 GMT). In parallel, Bulgarians living abroad have access to voting stations across 55 countries and regions.

Exit poll results are set to be released the moment domestic stations shut, with official final tallies expected no later than April 23.

The vote was rendered unavoidable following the collapse of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov's coalition government in December 2025, when sweeping public protests over the ruling majority's economic agenda forced its resignation. Parliamentary parties subsequently failed to coalesce around a new government, triggering yet another trip to the ballot box.

Zhelyazkov's administration had itself come to power only on January 16 of last year, following snap elections held in October 2024.

Bulgaria's National Assembly, the country's unicameral legislature, carries the dual mandate of lawmaking and government formation through a simple majority vote. It holds a four-year term under normal circumstances — though chronic failures to form a stable government have repeatedly cut those terms short.

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