Bulgarians vote to elect a new parliament after mass protests brought down the previous conservative-led government in December. Published On 19 Apr 202619 Apr 2026 Bulgarians have started voting in the eighth parliamentary election in five years after mass protests brought down the previous conservative-led government in December. Polling stations opened at 7am local time (04:00 GMT). Polls are due to close at 17:00 GMT, with exit polls expected shortly afterwards. Official results are likely on Monday. Recommended Stories list of 2 itemsend of list Sunday’s vote is significant as it could bring to power a left-leaning, pro-Russian former President Rumen Radev just days after voters in Hungary rejected the authoritarian policies and global far-right movement of Viktor Orban, who cultivated close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The December protests drew hundreds of thousands of mainly young people to the streets. The protesters called for an independent judiciary to tackle widespread corruption. Radev, a former air force general, has said he wants to rid the country of its “oligarchic governance model” and backed anticorruption …