Bulgaria’s president has said a snap vote will be held on April 19th, a move which could break years of deadlock, with the candidacy of a popular former president shaking up the political arena.
Iliana Yotova said on Wednesday that she will appoint an interim government led by current deputy central bank governor Andrey Gyurov to prepare the Balkan country for its eighth election in five years.
The focus has turned to Rumen Radev – who resigned last month after nearly a decade in office – saying he will join the election race and fight what he calls mafia and oligarchy. Radev stands to benefit from a deep anti-establishment mood in the European Union member state and is the likely winner of the April vote, according to polls.
The former air force general has been criticised by opponents for his pro-Kremlin talking points. He has also criticised military aid to Ukraine and the bloc’s sanctions on Russia.
With no Cabinet since 2021 surviving a full year, voters had become less and less willing to go to the polls every few months. However, according to surveys this week, Bulgarians have a renewed interest in voting in the wake of recent political upheaval.
The latest crisis triggered mass anti-corruption protests – the nation’s largest in a decade – that forced the previous prime minister Rosen Zhelyazkov to step down in December.
Zhelyazkov’s short-lived minority Cabinet managed to finalise Bulgaria’s negotiations to join the EU’s single currency, giving the country a voice in decisions on the euro area’s monetary policy. But he fell victim to repeated failures to advance the rule of law and tackle entrenched graft.
Radev, who voiced support for the protests which toppled Zhelyazkov, has promised to tackle a political set-up which he says is designed to feed a kleptocratic elite with public money.
A poll on Monday showed Radev may not win an outright majority and may need to enter coalition talks. With nearly a fifth of voters still not decided on whom to back, an increased turnout may be crucial in order to avoid a ninth election. – Bloomberg
