Bulgarian Prime Minister Andrey Gyurov called on citizens to vote in upcoming elections, saying high turnout would be the strongest safeguard of democracy and help curb vote-buying practices.
“The strongest defence of democracy is citizens’ participation. My appeal to all Bulgarians is: vote,” Gyurov said at the start of a regular cabinet meeting, according to a government statement.
He said higher turnout would reduce the influence of groups seeking to distort the democratic process, adding that broad participation would be “the biggest victory” in the elections.
Gyurov also referred to mass protests held late last year, when hundreds of thousands of Bulgarians took to the streets across the country to demand greater transparency and accountability in governance.
“The elections are a direct response to this civic voice,” he said.
The prime minister said the caretaker government would not take part in the election campaign, stressing it had no candidates and would focus on ensuring a fair and transparent vote.
“Our duty is to guarantee that every Bulgarian citizen can exercise their right to vote freely, calmly and in accordance with the rules,” he said.
Authorities have launched operations against vote-buying, while new measures have been introduced to strengthen election integrity, including standardized voting booths aimed at protecting ballot secrecy and preventing manipulation.
Gyurov added that the government had also taken steps to prevent the misuse of social benefits and firewood distribution as tools of electoral pressure.