Divided Over Ukraine, Bulgaria Votes For Fifth Time In Two Years

Sofia, Bulgaria, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 31st Mar, 2023 ) :Bulgarians head to the polls on Sunday for the fifth time in two years, with the EU's poorest member -- traditionally close to Moscow -- divided over the invasion of Ukraine. The war has exacerbated the political turmoil gripping the Balkan country since 2020, when months of anti-corruption protests shook longtime conservative prime minister Boyko Borisov. A series of elections followed, with the latest threatening to return yet another fragmented parliament unable to form a stable government.

"We break the record for number of elections," said analyst Daniel Smilov from the Centre for Liberal Strategies. Opinion polls ahead of Sunday's vote predict a low turnout, with many in the capital Sofia not hiding their anger and disillusion. Aleksandra Kirova, who took part in 2020's mass demonstrations calling for change, told AFP she would not even vote this time.

"I realised something rather rash was going on (during the protests). The logic was, 'Let's topple these and then we'll see,'" said the 41-year-old, who returned to Bulgaria after completing a doctorate degree in France. "We just set a ticking bomb.

What we see now is the result," she said, adding that she now focused on her family to "distance myself emotionally" from the pain of politics.