EP Democracy Shield Committee discusses foreign interference in Bulgaria’s April 19 elections
Published Tuesday 5 May 2026 at 13:27
Bulgarian investigative journalist Christo Grozev told the European Parliament's Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield (EUDS) on Monday he is proud that Bulgaria sought EU support for the early parliamentary elections on April 19, reported BTA. Sofia asked for the EU Rapid Response System to be activated ahead of the elections. The system helps voters in a member state make informed and neutral decisions free of foreign manipulation.
Grozev spoke via a videoconferencing link during an EUDS discussion on attempts at foreign interference in the Bulgarian elections.
According to him, the measures taken by Bulgaria in the run-up to the elections were unprecedented in Central and Eastern Europe and had a deterrent effect. This is evident from intercepted internal communications, he noted, referring to a national working group which was set up to counter foreign information manipulation and interference.
In Grozev's view, there were justified expectations ahead of the elections of a "Romanian scenario", in which a candidate receives a surge of support through a social network. Grozev noted that this did not happen in Bulgaria, although there were attempts at influence through online platforms. He pointed out that Facebook profiles known for spreading pro-Russian propaganda were renamed before the elections in order to maintain their influence and disseminate opinions related to the candidates. Grozev clarified that despite reports, the Central Election Commission did not take a position on these cases.
According to him, three parties showed coordinated electoral behaviour: Progressive Bulgaria, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms, and There Is Such a People.
Grozev said that the main goal of attempts at foreign interference in Bulgaria's elections was to create perceptions rather than to spread disinformation. This year, Russia chose a new approach – to present EU actions as censorship and interference, he noted. Grozev added that there is a perception in Bulgaria of impunity in speech, although not every statement falls within the scope of European legislation.
Bulgaria's Deputy Foreign Minister Velizar Shalamanov said at the EUDS discussion that no serious incidents had been identified related to attempts at foreign interference in the parliamentary elections. "Our goal was deterrence," he said. According to him, limited cyberattacks were observed only in the final hours before the end of election day.
Shalamanov recommended that in future there should be closer coordination between the Communications Regulation Commission, the Council for Electronic Media and the Central Election Commission.
