In a non-stop cycle of political turmoil Bulgariaʼs citizens are heading to polling-stations today for what has become an all-too-familiar routine: their seventh ballot since fall-2021.
The south-eastern European nation finds itself stuck in a loop of short-lived governments; where repeated elections dont bring much-needed stability (and voters grow increasingly tired of the whole process). The constant back-and-forth has created a perfect storm: low turn-out mixed with rising support for non-mainstream groups.
Russian dis-information networks have taken full advantage of this political mess-up: spreading doubt about democratic values and pushing pro-Moscow ideas into Bulgarian society. Far-right groups are getting more popular too; their simple solutions seem appealing to many frustrated citizens whoʼve lost faith in traditional parties
The repeated voting cycles have led to an odd situation: where each new election seems to solve less than the previous one - making it harder for any political force to form a working coalition. Local political expert Ivan Petrov puts it simply: “Weʼre seeing democratic burn-out in real-time“