Bulgaria’s parliamentary election on April 19, 2026, is shaping up as more than another episode in the country’s prolonged political crisis. After seven elections in five years, voter fatigue, institutional instability, and distrust in the political class have created conditions in which parties sympathetic to Moscow are gaining momentum. If the current trend holds, the result could affect not only Bulgaria’s domestic direction but also EU unity, NATO’s posture in the Black Sea, and military support for Ukraine.

At the center of this shift is Progressive Bulgaria, a new formation associated with Rumen Radev, which has surged into first place in the latest polling. According to a survey by the U.S.S. Research, commissioned by the NGO GID, Progressive Bulgaria stands at 21.1 percent. It is followed by We Continue the Change / Yes, Bulgaria at 18.2 percent and GERB-SDS at 18 percent. Further down are Revival (Vazrazhdane) with 10.6 percent, DPS with 9 percent, and the United Left (BSP) with 4.6 percent, while 14.7 percent remain undecided. The poll is important because it suggests that parties either openly........

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