Early parliamentary elections will be held in Bulgaria on October 2nd. New Strategy Center publishes an analysis of the main parties, the possible coalitions that could emerge from the elections, and their impact on foreign policy and Sofia’s position towards the European Union and NATO or Russia.
Bulgaria’s parliamentary elections are taking place against a backdrop of political instability, both externally – with the war in Ukraine – and internally, as these are the fourth parliamentary elections in less than two years. This round of elections became necessary following the June fall of the government led by former Prime Minister Kiril Petkov amid inflation, uncertainty over gas supplies, and other consequences of Ukraine’s war. The regional significance of the October 2nd parliamentary elections cannot be overstated, as the winner will shape Bulgaria’s future, determining its engagement in favour of Ukraine and stance on sanctions against Russia.