Bulgaria Holds Eighth Legislative Election in Five Years as Ex-President Radev Tipped to Win

Bulgaria on Sunday held its eighth legislative election in five years, with ex-president Rumen Radev's grouping tipped to win on a pledge to fight corruption, after an anti-corruption movement triggered a long political crisis. The EU's poorest member has been through successive governments since 2021, when anti-corruption rallies ended the conservative administration of long-time leader Boyko Borissov. Radev, who has called for renewing ties with Russia and opposes military aid to Ukraine, was president for nine years in the Balkan nation of 6.5 million people. He stepped down in January and now leads the new centre-left Progressive Bulgaria group of parties. Opinion polls before the election suggested his coalition could gain 35 per cent of votes for the 240-seat parliament. The former air force general, 62, has said he wants to rid the country of its "oligarchic governance model." He backed new anti-corruption protests last year that brought down the latest conservative-backed government. "I'm voting for change," Decho Kostadinov, 57, told reporters after casting his ballot in the capital, Sofia, adding corrupt politicians "should leave – they should take whatever they've stolen and get out of Bulgaria".