The vote, the eighth in just five years, came after the government resigned after weeks of protests over corruption allegations and the budget.
listen to this article2 minutes
information
Published February 18, 2026
Bulgaria will hold snap elections on April 19, President Iliana Iotova announced.
Wednesday’s announcement came after the previous government resigned in December following weeks of anti-corruption protests.
Last week, Yotova appointed Andrei Gurov, deputy governor of the Bulgarian National Bank, to head a caretaker government tasked with preparing for the vote.
“I issue a decree to hold elections on April 19,” Yotova said at a press conference on Wednesday after a meeting with Gurov, who introduced the members of the interim government.
Bulgaria, which joined the eurozone on January 1, faces a prolonged period of political instability as political parties have been unable to form a stable ruling coalition in a divided parliament.
The upcoming parliamentary elections will be the country’s eighth in just five years.
In the most recent election in 2024, the conservative party GERB became the leading party and formed a coalition government.
But protesters began taking to the streets in late November over the proposed 2026 budget, which they branded as an attempt to cover up rampant corruption.
Last month, Rumen Radev, Bulgaria’s longtime president who has supported protests and harshly criticized the government, announced his resignation amid speculation that he was aiming to take part in the election.
In his address to the nation, Mr Radev, 62, said at the time that he was keen to join the European Union and NATO member states in their “fight for the future”.
His successor was Vice President Iotova. A new presidential election is scheduled for later this year.
