Eighth vote in just five years follows government resignation after weeks of protests over budget, alleged corruption.

Bulgaria ⁠will hold a snap parliamentary election on April 19, President Iliana Iotova has said.

The announcement on Wednesday comes after the resignation of the previous government in December following weeks of anticorruption protests.

Last week, Iotova tapped Andrey Gyurov, deputy governor of ⁠the Bulgarian National Bank, to head a caretaker government tasked with preparing the way for the vote.

“I will make a decree to have elections on the 19th of April,” Iotova told ⁠a news conference on Wednesday, after meeting Gyurov, ⁠who presented the members ⁠of his caretaker government.

Bulgaria, which joined the eurozone on January 1, has faced prolonged political ‌instability, with parties unable to form stable ruling coalitions in a fragmented ‌parliament.

The upcoming parliamentary election will be ‌the eighth in just five years in the country.

The conservative GERB party came first in the most recent election in 2024, forming a coalition government.

People, however, began taking to the streets in late November over the 2026 draft budget, with protesters branded it as an attempt to mask rampant corruption.

Last month, Bulgaria’s longtime President Rumen Radev, a vocal government critic who supported the protests, announced his resignation amid speculation that he was looking to take part in the elections.

In an address to the nation, Radev, 62, said at the time he was eager to participate in the “battle for the future” of the European Union and NATO member.

He was replaced by his deputy, Iotova. New presidential elections are expected later this year.

Peru’s interim president was removed from office Tuesday over corruption allegations, further destabilizing the country ahead of April’s presidential and congressional elections, according to reports.

José Jerí’s ouster follows an ongoing scandal called “Chifagate,” in which he was allegedly filmed at an undisclosed meeting with a Chinese businessman who holds a concession for an energy project, the Associated Press reported.

Jeri was also said to have met with another business person, reportedly under investigation for alleged involvement in illegal logging.

Lawmakers removed him by voting to censure him as head of Congress, which needed only a simple majority and automatically stripped him of the presidency.

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Jerí has said he will respect the outcome of the vote, has denied wrongdoing and will return to his role as a legislator, Reuters reported.

Tuesday’s ousting vote marks the latest twist in a prolonged political crisis that has seen seven presidents since 2016.

Jerí had assumed the post on Oct. 10, 2025, after the dismissal of his predecessor, Dina Boluarte.

Right-wing parties that had backed Boluarte withdrew support amid further corruption scandals. Since Boluarte had no vice president, Jerí, then head of Congress, was next in line.

Lawmakers will now elect a new head of Congress, who will also assume the presidency until July 28, 2026, when the winner of the April 12 election is sworn in.

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As the country heads toward the next vote, the presidential field remains crowded.

Conservative businessman Rafael López Aliaga currently leads in polls, while Keiko Fujimori, the daughter of former President Alberto Fujimori, is running second in most others.

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Fujimori narrowly lost her last presidential bid, securing 49% of the vote in 2021. If no candidate wins more than 50% in April, the top two finishers will advance to a June runoff.

Rospigliosi said parties have until 6 p.m. local time to present candidates, and the legislature is expected to vote on a new president Feb. 18.