Bulgaria, Early Parliamentary Elections, 19 April 2026

Following an invitation to observe the 19 April 2026 early parliamentary elections in the Republic of Bulgaria, and in accordance with its mandate, the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) undertook a Needs Assessment Mission (NAM) from 16 to 19 February 2026. The NAM was composed of Kseniya Dashutsina, ODIHR Senior Election Adviser, and Ranko Vukčević, ODIHR Election Adviser.

The purpose of the NAM was to assess the pre-election environment and preparations for the parliamentary elections. Based on this assessment, the NAM recommends whether to deploy an ODIHR election-related activity for the forthcoming elections and, if so, what type of activity best meets the identified needs. The NAM held meetings with officials from state institutions as well as with representatives of parliamentary political parties, media, and civil society. A list of interlocutors is annexed to this report.