Bulgaria's Political Turmoil Continues with Fifth Election in Two Years.

Bulgarians have voted in the fifth general election in two years, with low turnout expected due to voter apathy and disillusionment with politicians. Polls suggest that up to seven groups could potentially reach the 4% threshold to enter a fragmented parliament, with populist and pro-Russia parties likely to increase their representation. The chances for an immediate end to the political stalemate were low, with the centre-right GERB party and its main rival, the liberal We Continue the Change party, running neck-and-neck. Party leaders were trying to soften their aggressive rhetoric to find an alternative to consecutive caretaker governments appointed by President Rumen Radev in the last few years that have quietly shifted the country towards Russia.