The party of conservative former prime minister Boyko Borissov has again come first in Bulgaria's seventh general elections in less than four years, according to exit polls on Sunday.
Mr Borissov's GERB Party won between 25 and 27 per cent of the vote, followed by the reformist coalition PP-DB at about 15 per cent and the ultranationalist Vazrazhdane party at around 13 per cent, polls indicated.
Bulgarians voted on Sunday in their seventh snap election in four years and opinion polls suggest it is unlikely to break a political deadlock that has slowed economic reforms in the European Union's poorest member state.
Bulgaria has voted for short-lived governments since 2020, when anti-corruption protests helped to end a coalition led by the centre-right GERB.
“I don't think they will form a government” after the election, Marin Kushev, 69, said after casting his ballot in Sofia. “I don't believe them (politicians).”
Latest opinion polls suggest that, once again, no single party will win a parliamentary majority, setting the stage for another round of difficult and prolonged coalition talks.
“People want security and stability. We have sunny weather today, so people should go out and vote. We will see what will happen after the polls close,” Mr Borissov told reporters after casting his ballot.
“I have 40 years of working experience and I am getting 700 leva ($400) per month as a pensioner,” said Iordanka Metodieva, 73, a pensioner who voted in Sofia. “Life is hard.”
Bulgaria needs a period of stable, well-functioning government to accelerate the flow of EU funds into its infrastructure and nudge it towards adoption of the euro.
Plans to join the eurozone have already been pushed back twice because it missed inflation targets. Accession is currently scheduled for January 25, 2025.
“A fragmented parliament and long-standing political rivalries will complicate the formation of a functional and stable government,” political risk consultancy Teneo said in a note on Thursday.
“Protracted political chaos might translate into growing voter disappointment with mainstream political parties in favour of populist, nationalist and pro-Russian ones.”
Sunday's vote was triggered by the failure of Bulgaria's political parties to agree on a coalition government after an inconclusive June 9 election.
PP-DB leader Kiril Petkov invited people to vote on Sunday.
“I am sure of one thing: Bulgaria has to move forward, and if this is to happen, it is up to all Bulgarians,” he said.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
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What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
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Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
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ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Kumulus Water
Started: 2021
Founders: Iheb Triki and Mohamed Ali Abid
Based: Tunisia
Sector: Water technology
Number of staff: 22
Investment raised: $4 million
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Leap of Faith
Michael J Mazarr
Public Affairs
Dh67
PROFILE
Name: Enhance Fitness
Year started: 2018
Based: UAE
Employees: 200
Amount raised: $3m
Investors: Global Ventures and angel investors
The specs
Engine: Two permanent-magnet synchronous AC motors
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Adele: The Stories Behind The Songs
Caroline Sullivan
Carlton Books
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