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Bulgarians vote on Sunday in an instant poll after a previous election in April produced a fragmented parliament that failed to form a viable coalition government.
The latest opinion polls suggest that the replay could produce similar results, but also a further decline in support for former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov’s GERB party, after the current caretaker government made public allegations of widespread corruption during his reign.
Bulgaria, a member of NATO and the EU, has been repeatedly criticized for not tackling corruption and for shortcomings in the rule of law and media freedom.
The anti-corruption campaign by opponents of Borisov was further bolstered by sanctions imposed last month by the US Treasury against several Bulgarian officials and business leaders for corruption.
Polls suggest a close race between Borisov’s party, which came first in April with more than 26% of the vote, and its main rival, the anti-elite There is such a people led by famous TV host Slavi Trifonov.
The opposition Socialist Party is ranked third, followed by the liberal anti-corruption group Democratic Bulgaria and the Turkish ethnic party MRF.
The new center-left alliance Stand Up! Mafia Out !, which emerged after last year’s anti-government protests, is expected to cross the 4% mark to enter parliament.
According to political analyst Dimitar Ganev, Borisov is unlikely to return to power for a fourth term, whether or not the GERB ends up leading the election, as most political groups have rejected the idea of ​​cooperating with the GERB. former ruling party.
The 12,000 polling stations close at 8 p.m. There are 6.7 million eligible voters who elect 240 lawmakers. Preliminary results are expected around midnight Sunday.
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