Bulgaria seeks EU support to counter Russian election interference

Bulgaria has requested assistance from the European Union to prevent potential Russian interference in its parliamentary elections later this month.

According to Politico, Sofia has asked the European External Action Service for help in identifying and halting campaigns by foreign actors aimed at manipulating public opinion through social media and propaganda websites.

Bulgaria also requested the activation of the EU’s “Rapid Alert System” for tackling disinformation under the Digital Services Act. The initiative focuses on coordination with platforms such as Meta, Google, TikTok, and others.

The country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has established a temporary task force to coordinate measures against external interference, with investigative journalist Christo Grozev involved in the effort.

Parliamentary elections are scheduled for April 19, featuring former President Rumen Radev and  Boyko Borissov, leader of the centre-right party. This will be the eighth election in Bulgaria over the past five years.