By Mila Georgieva
After 7 parliamentary elections in only just 4 years, Bulgaria continues to remain wrapped up in political turmoil. The recent coalition formed by the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) , the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and the “There is such as people” party (ITN), in January marks a temporary relief in the internal parliamentary tensions, but it is only a matter of time before the government collapses yet again.
Internal party tensions:
Following the most recent election, in October 2024, Zhelyazkov formed a coalition government between his party, GERB, the BSP and the ITN in January 2025, leading to yet another unstable government where neither party secured a strong majority. Critics steer towards the BSP’s tenuous alliance with Russia in the Ukraine-Russia war and its ideological clash with GERB’s strong pro-Western stance in this conflict, calling into question whether such ideologically contrasting parties can form a government where consistent and smooth policymaking takes place.
"As of now, the current coalition must work hard in order to maintain internal political peace so that effective policymaking can take place, something that will be hard to achieve with such an ideologically diverse cabinet."
Corruption and judicial manipulation:
Aside from weak government formation, Bulgaria’s political instability can also be traced to the country’s lengthy association with corruption and bribery, especially during elections. Judicial institutions and the lack of independence from politics has fragmented the integrity of the Bulgarian judiciary, with the public being under the impression that it is a breeding ground for manipulation. The most recent scandal involving the previous prime minister, Kiril Petkov over the arrest of Boyko Borisov in 2022 has been challenged by critics as being deeply politically motivated, with the judiciary serving as a tool for political manoeuvring rather than a place of honesty, integrity and impartiality.
Public resentment:
As a result of the continued corruption and instability in Bulgaria’s political landscape, the public has naturally become increasingly apathetic during elections. The consistent government collapses and snap elections as well as the corruption taking place during them, has eroded the public's trust in politicians and the system of governance. This is reflected through the declining voter turn out, which at the most recent election in October 2024 was just 33.5%, down by just over 30% from the 2001 election, demonstrating the breakdown of trust in politics.
The internal tensions in the Bulgarian political landscape have led to an increased number of protests, with some of the most recent ones being over speculations of vote-buying in the most recent election, which were confirmed by the Interior Ministry. Demonstrations took place the following week of the election, with protesters holding banners saying ‘’WE DO NOT RECOGNISE BOUGHT ELECTIONS” and burning fake ballot boxes with Peevski’s name, the politician and Bulgarian oligarch in question for skewing the election in 2024.
Looking ahead:
The situation for Bulgaria does not seem like it will improve. Talks of another election are surfacing the public, but with the amount that there has been over the last 4 years, there is no reason to believe that the next will be any different. The rise of protests does show that the public recognises the flaws in the system and political leaders understand the need for integrity in order to maintain a democracy, but these are merely just meaningless words from politicians as the situation has not improved in the last 10 years. As of now, the current coalition must work hard in order to maintain internal political peace so that effective policymaking can take place, something that will be hard to achieve with such an ideologically diverse cabinet.
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