Balgarianovinite.com Only a small share of Bulgarians believe upcoming elections will be free and fair, according to sociologists speaking at a public discussion on election integrity in Sofia. At the event, titled “An Active Civil Society for Fair Elections,” sociologists Parvan Simeonov and Svetlin Tachev from the Myara polling agency said that constant, politically motivated changes to election rules have eroded public trust and revealed the absence of a long-term election strategy.
Simeonov cited survey data from mid-January 2026 showing that just 16% of Bulgarians expect elections to be free and fair. He noted that a similar level of confidence was recorded in March 2025, after a Constitutional Court decision led to an additional party entering Parliament. According to him, perceptions of fairness are strongly influenced by whether voters feel meaningful political alternatives exist.
While Simeonov argued that election practices at the national level are not as problematic as public opinion suggests, he said authorities have failed to convince citizens of this. He warned that excessive political rhetoric about election fraud further undermines confidence. Problems are more serious at the local level, he added, especially in smaller communities with poorly trained election administrators, where procedural errors can have a real impact.
Both sociologists defended the use of voting machines as a tool to reduce errors and invalid ballots. Simeonov criticized last-minute rule changes and what he described as unfounded allegations against voting machines, arguing that once a system is introduced, it should be allowed to function consistently. Tachev added that Bulgaria missed a chance to fully implement machine voting and allow voters to adapt to it. He stressed that voting machines are not a cure-all, but an important optimization tool.
Both experts concluded that without a coherent, long-term strategy for election administration, public confidence in the democratic process is likely to continue declining.
At the opening of the discussion, Rossitsa Kirova, chair of the parliamentary committee on direct citizen participation and civil society relations, said that with less than three months until the elections, it is crucial to ensure conditions that guarantee the next parliament reflects public attitudes. She stressed that fair and transparent elections are a shared responsibility of the state, citizens, political parties, and civil society, and that every participant in the electoral process bears responsibility for the legitimacy of the vote. Sociologists Warn of Low Trust in Elections, and Criticize Lack of Strategy as Election Rules Are Frequently Revised 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-02-10 12:13:04 Latest news World news Country news Most important news latest news most important latest of the day Justice Petar Nizamov Feathers Petar Nizamov- Feathers Justice bg iustitia.bg iustitia iusticia usticia investigation Burgas Bulgaria news news of the last hour news of the day news of today Bulgaria news The news from Bulgaria blitz news top news most important most commented latest news Boyko Borisov news weather coronavirus news news weather facebook youtube facebook instagram news today news of the last minutes news today today news news bg news leading news hot news bg news site for news all news news bg news of the last hour latest latest news bg news of today news today news today news of the last hour latest news today news bg news news 24 hours news vesti bg novini news world bird bg bivol bg bivol trud bg novini latest news today novinite bg news hello bulgaria political party coat of arms delyan peevski scandalous Bulgarian National Television Free Europe Television scandal exclusive live tv live right now tv tv online tv program bg live now tv news online tv online live court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas court Burgas district court Burgas district court Burgas appellate court Burgas prosecutor Burgas prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Burgas district prosecutor’s office Prosecutor General Ivan Geshev Prosecutor Geshev Tsatsarov Ministry of Internal Affairs Burgas ODMR Burgas ODPR Burgas police Burgas district police Burgas prosecutor Tsatsarov SGS cases Varna court chairman of the SGS court decisions on civil cases decisions on cases Plovdiv court decision of the court decisions cases Varna court criminal cases district district court decisions work in the court SGS chairman of the SGS judges Sofia court post judges Plovdiv court Plovdiv judges Plovdiv Supreme Court Inspectorate Supreme Court Supreme Judicial Council lawyer lawyer criminal cases lawyer civil cases lawyer marriage cases lawyer administrative criminal law criminal process civil law civil process administrative law constitutional law