SOFIA: 2020 Bulgaria, the poorest member of the EU, has been troubled by a successful government since anti-corruption protests in 2020.
Recent opinion polls show that no party is likely to have a majority, and will pave the way for a new round of coalition talks after the polls close.
“I voted for a better future,” said Antoineta Hristova, 55, who works in marketing and PR.
“But to be honest, I think we will open more elections – 7 in 3 years.
Polls open at 7:00 am (0400 GMT) and will close at 8:00 pm (1700 GMT) and should be announced immediately after the polls close. The first partial results are expected at midnight (2100 GMT).
“I voted to improve the situation and improve the situation for the children. This man is really bad here, there is a lot of crime,” said Georgi Harizanov, 59, a construction worker who voted early in the morning in Sofia.
Bulgaria needs a stable, well-functioning period to accelerate the flow of EU funds to emerging infrastructure and to adopt the euro and fully participate in the Schengen area of open-border Europe.
The plan to join the euro zone has been pushed back twice after missing the inflation target. Incorporation is currently scheduled for January 25, 2025.
Teneo analysts said in a report last week that failure to form a stable government would increase the risk of further delays.
Bulgaria says it has so far received only 1.4 billion euros out of 5.7 billion euros in grants from the EU’s Recovery and Stability Facility (RRF).
Sunday’s vote led to the collapse of the March coalition of the right-wing GERB Party and the Reformist We Change Party (PP).
The latest Gallup poll published Friday by the BTA news agency put GERB ahead with 25.9 percent of the vote, with three parties vying for second place.
The ultra-nationalist Pro-Russian Revival Party and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, which represent Bulgaria’s large Turkish minority, received 15.7%, 15.5% and 15.3% respectively.
Bulgarians will elect their representatives to the European Parliament, but election fatigue could be a problem. In a Gallup poll, only 40% of respondents said they would vote.
