Turnout up as Bulgarians vote in critical election

RT.com
19 Apr 2026, 17:04 GMT+10

Rumen Radev and Boyko Borissov are competing in a vote that will shape Bulgarias relations with Brussels, Kiev, and Moscow

Bulgaria's Rumen Radev and Boyko Borissov have cast their votes, and the country's eighth election in five years is underway. Radev, who opposes EU aid to Ukraine, has vowed to break the stranglehold of the "oligarchic mafia" on Bulgaria.

The election is another flashpoint in the battle between pro-EU and sovereignist political forces in Europe. Borissov's GERB-SDS party is aligned with Brussels' foreign policy, and he reassured voters on Sunday that the party gives "full support to Ukraine." Radev's Progressive Bulgaria faction promises to balance relations between East and West, with Radev vowing to build a "modern European Bulgaria," while developing "practical relations with Russia based on mutual respect."

Radev is a former fighter pilot who served as Bulgaria's president between 2017 and 2026. Borissov is the country's longest-serving prime minister, holding office between 2009 and 2021. The pair publicly clashed during their overlapping stint in power, with Radev backing the 2020 anti-corruption protests that led to Borissov's downfall.

Just as it did in Hungary last weekend, and in France, Germany, Moldova, and Romania beforehand,the EU has activated its 'Rapid Response System'in Bulgaria. This suite of online censorship tools gives the European Commission the power to remove so-called "disinformation" from social media platforms during the election.

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