SOFIA, Bulgaria, April 13, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Bulgaria will hold its eighth general election in five years this weekend, with ex-president Rumen Radev's new grouping tipped to win a ballot many hope will end chronic instability.

Radev, a former air force general, resigned as president early this year after nine years in the job.

The snap election follows the resignation late last year of a conservative-led government after vast protests against endemic corruption in the EU and NATO member of 6.5 million people.

Bulgaria, which joined the eurozone on January 1, has been plagued by instability since 2021 when long-time conservative premier Boyko Borisov lost power after massive anti-graft protests.

Since then, no government has lasted longer than a year in the European Union's poorest member state.

Radev, a vocal critic of some EU policies, stepped down as president to run in the upcoming election as leader of the centre-left Progressive Bulgaria coalition.

It has the backing of about 30 percent of voters, according to opinion polls.

Seeking to "rid the country of its oligarchic governance model", Radev openly supported the anti-corruption protests in late 2025.

He has also called for restoring ties with Russia, despite its full-scale invasion of Ukraine since 2022, saying it is impossible to "build long-term security solely on confrontation".

Radev is critical of the past policy of sending weapons to Ukraine and has criticised a 10-year defence agreement with Kyiv signed by an interim government in office since February, earning fresh accusations from his opponents of being too tolerant towards Russia.

Last year, he called for a referendum on Bulgaria's eurozone entry, claiming the country was not ready to join the single European currency.

- Eurosceptic, pro-Russia -

He has also denounced the EU's Green Deal policy, which he considers naive "in a world without rules".

Progressive Bulgaria appeals both to eurosceptic, pro-Russian voters and to young people living in small towns and villages, Boryana Dimitrova of the polling institute Alpha Research told AFP.

Progressive Bulgaria's top rival in the vote is the conservative GERB, polling at just over 20 percent.

The Brussels-friendly GERB openly supports Ukraine while promoting Bulgaria's adhesion to US President Donald Trump's new Board of Peace initiative.

Analysts say Bulgaria -- which was governed by Moscow-steered communists until 1989 -- is particularly vulnerable to pro-Russian disinformation.

Ahead of the vote, Sofia asked the EU to activate its rapid alert system designed to combat disinformation campaigns.

Radev has slammed the move, accusing the interim government of trying to "discredit" the election result.

Bulgarian police have meanwhile carried out dozens of raids targeting vote-buying.

- Cash for votes -

They said they seized more than 500,000 euros ($583,000) in cash and arrested over 200 people.

The interim interior minister said vote-buying methods included "clearing debts at grocery stores and hair salons" or handing out cash at party headquarters.

Analyst Dimitrova said Radev could benefit from a high turnout, following low participation in the previous elections.

If he secures more than 100 seats in the 240-member parliament, Radev "will be able to form a minority government" or a coalition without too many compromises, which would mean a stable government "for a certain period of time", she added.

The next parliament will have to tackle several major issues like a wobbly judicial system whose key posts -- including the general prosecutor -- are held by acting officials because of the long-drawn political crisis.

Bulgaria is placed 84th in the Corruption Perceptions Index for 2025 put together by the Transparency International watchdog, the worst in the EU alongside Viktor Orban's Hungary and side by side with Cuba or Burkina Faso.