Bulgarians vote on Sunday in the eighth parliamentary election in five years, with the clear favorite, pro-Russian former President Rumen Radev, promising to root out corruption and end a spiral of weak, short-lived governments, Reuters reports.
Radev, a Eurosceptic former fighter pilot who opposes military support for Ukraine's war effort against Moscow, stepped down as president in January to run in the election, which comes after mass protests forced the previous government from power in December.
“Finally, we need a path to a democratic, modern European Bulgaria,“ Radev said after casting his ballot You are in Sofia. “We need our very strong program in parliament to support Bulgarian citizens to get out of this very difficult situation as soon as possible.“
On relations with Moscow, he said: “I hope that we will develop practical relations with Russia, based on mutual respect and equality.“
Bulgaria has developed rapidly since the fall of communism in 1989 and joined the European Union in 2007. Life expectancy has increased sharply, unemployment is the lowest in the EU, and the economy has greater safety nets since joining the eurozone in January.
But Bulgaria lags behind other EU countries on many indicators and corruption remains endemic, including in elections, where vote-buying is widespread.
The cost of living has become a particular problem, since Bulgaria, a NATO member, adopted the euro. The previous government fell amid protests against a new budget that proposed tax hikes and higher social security contributions.
This, and the recent political crisis, appear to be as important to voters as Radev's calls to improve relations with Moscow or to resume Russian oil and gas supplies to Europe.
Opinion polls on Friday showed Radev's "Progressive Bulgaria" party securing around 35% of the vote, up from a month ago. If confirmed, it would be one of the strongest showings by a party in years, although it has yet to secure a parliamentary majority.
Polling stations close at 8 p.m. Exit polls are expected after the vote.