Bulgaria has officially requested the European Union to provide technical and expert assistance to counter foreign interference — primarily Russian — in the upcoming snap parliamentary elections on April 19. This was reported by Politico, citing official correspondence between Bulgarian authorities and the European Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS).
In a letter sent last week, the Bulgarian side pointed to “an increased risk of coordinated disinformation campaigns and foreign interference that could undermine the integrity of the electoral process.” The request includes activation of the EU’s rapid response mechanism, created specifically to counter threats from Russia and China, such as social media manipulation, propaganda websites, and hybrid operations.
According to the Bulgarian think tank Centre for the Study of Democracy (CSD), the country remains one of the most vulnerable in the EU to information threats. Experts note the presence of Russia-linked networks spreading manipulative content through social media and traditional media outlets, amplifying societal polarization ahead of what will be the eighth parliamentary election in five years.
The European Commission confirmed receipt of the request and its readiness to provide support. Platforms such as Meta and TikTok may be required to submit risk reports and details of their moderation measures for Bulgarian-language content.
The EU views election protection as a priority in the face of growing hybrid threats from Russia. Bulgaria’s request may serve as a test of the effectiveness of European rapid response mechanisms within the Union.