Bulgarians vote on Sunday in their fifth general election in two years, a record in the European Union, amid deep divisions over the war in Ukraine.
Russia’s invasion of its neighbour has deepened the political crisis that has engulfed Bulgaria since 2020, the worst instability since the fall of Communism.
The poor Balkan nation of 6.5 million people is a member of the EU and NATO. But it is historically and culturally close to Russia.
The country witnessed massive anti-corruption rallies three years ago but, contrary to protesters’ hopes of a clean-up in public life, the demonstrations triggered a series of elections.
Conservative prime minister Boyko Borisov, whose decade in office was tainted by allegations of graft, lost power in 2021.
But the country’s political parties have struggled since to form stable coalitions, leading to a deeply fragmented parliament and series of interim governments.
“What…
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