Bulgaria's President Iliana Yotova approved a caretaker government proposed by prime minister-designate Andrey Gyurov on February 18 and said she would call a snap parliamentary election for April 19.

Gyurov, former deputy governor of the Bulgarian National Bank, presented his cabinet earlier in the day. Under Bulgarian law, he must resign from the central bank post to assume the interim premiership.

The temporary administration will run the country until a coalition emerges after what will be Bulgaria’s eighth election since 2021, following the collapse of the government led by Rosen Zhelyazkov in December 2025.

Yotova said the cabinet’s priority would be organising a credible vote in coordination with the Central Election Commission.

A recent poll suggested that a political project linked to former president Rumen Radev would win the elections with 25.6% of the vote. The survey placed the former ruling GERB-SDF alliance second on 15.4%, followed by Change Continues-Democratic Bulgaria on 12.5%.

Radev formally stepped down on January 23, becoming Bulgaria’s first head of state to leave office early. His departure, a year before the end of his second term, was widely interpreted as preparation for a move into party politics, although he has yet to announce a party or candidate list.

A former commander of the Bulgarian Air Force, Radev was first elected president in 2016 and re-elected in 2021. Over nearly a decade in office he appointed seven caretaker governments and built a reputation as one of the country’s most influential political figures, frequently casting himself as a challenger to what he calls a “corrupt, mafia-like” political establishment.

The previous Zhelyazkov administration, formed in January 2025 after lengthy coalition talks, collapsed in December amid public anger over perceived oligarchic influence and opposition to businessman Delyan Peevski, who is under US sanctions.

Bulgaria’s repeated elections and fragile governments have weighed on investor confidence and policymaking, leaving key reforms delayed as political parties struggle to secure stable majorities.

Despite the political turmoil, Bulgaria achieved a long-sought milestone by joining the eurozone in January 2026, becoming the single currency bloc’s 21st member.