SOFIA, April 18 -- Bulgarians began heading to the polls in the eighth election in five years on Sunday with ex-president Rumen Radev's grouping expected to win on a pledge to fight corruption.

The European Union's poorest member has been mired in a political crisis since 2021 when large anti-corruption rallies toppled the conservative government of long-time leader Boyko Borissov.

Radev, a former airforce general who has advocated for renewing ties with Russia and slammed sending military aid to Ukraine, was president for nine years in the Balkan nation.

He stepped down in January to lead newly formed centre-left grouping Progressive Bulgaria, with opinion polls before Sunday's vote suggesting the bloc could gain 35 per cent of the vo...