Defending the Vote: Policy Responses to Information Warfare in Bulgaria
Published Monday 16 March 2026 at 12:00
Report of CSD
As Bulgaria heads into its ninth general election since 2021 the country faces sustained Russian information manipulation pressure compounded by a deeply embedded domestic amplification ecosystem.
This report provides an anticipatory threat assessment for the April and November 2026 votes, drawing on CSD’s extensive Kremlin Playbook research and methodology, network and algorithmic analysis, and narrative monitoring. It maps the architecture of manipulation operating in the Bulgarian information space, identifies the irregular warfare narrative pressure points most likely to be exploited during the campaign, and outlines actionable recommendations – grounded in the European Digital Services Act Elections Toolkit and comparative European experience – for closing the gap between awareness and operational preparedness.
