Bulgaria to hold new parliamentary elections in October, the fourth in a year and a half

Bulgarian President Roumen Radev announced on Monday August 1 the holding of new elections on October 2, the fourth in a year and a half, after the fall of the reformist government of Kiril Petkov at the end of June.

Kirill Petkov, who had managed to form a motley coalition in December, at the end of the third legislative elections of the year, lost the support of one of the parties before being overthrown by a vote of no confidence after six months in sadness. Since then, no party has managed to gather a sufficient majority to govern. Hence the need to call the Bulgarians back to the polls.

Elected to fight corruption in this poorest country in the European Union, the liberal Prime Minister trained at Harvard was overtaken by the war in Ukraine. The conflict has heightened internal tensions in this traditionally Russophile land, from the delivery of military aid to the disruption of gas supplies by Moscow. Bulgaria has been plagued since the summer of 2020 by instability triggered by massive demonstrations against the conservative Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, then in power almost without interruption since 2009.

Analysts predict an equally fragmented new parliament, with no less than seven parties likely to contest the 240 seats, according to three recent polls. The political crisis is likely to aggravate the economic woes of this Balkan country, faced with galloping inflation and concerns about energy supplies this winter.