A total of 2,066 reports of election-related crimes and violations have been registered across Bulgaria as of 9:00 a.m., Acting Interior Minister Emil Dechev announced in Pleven. He compared the figure with the 2024 parliamentary elections, when 612 signals were filed, highlighting a significant increase in reported cases.
According to the Interior Ministry data, 534 fast-track and pre-trial proceedings have been initiated so far for the April 19 vote, compared to 108 during the 2024 elections. Authorities have also issued 5,380 warning protocols under the Ministry of Interior Act, up from 1,629 in the previous parliamentary vote. A total of 360 people have been detained, compared with 70 in 2024, while 242 specialized police operations have been carried out, slightly above the 228 recorded last year.
Dechev argued that the rise in reports reflects growing public confidence in law enforcement. ?We can all realize that if a Bulgarian citizen does not believe that his report can be considered seriously, he will not bother to submit it to the police,? he said, adding that the 237% increase in signals demonstrates higher trust in the Interior Ministry leadership.
He further described the results as evidence of institutional effectiveness, stating that the government is committed to ensuring fair elections and a strict stance against vote buying, corporate voting, and controlled voting. ?There are no our people, there are no double standards,? he said, stressing that enforcement applies equally regardless of political affiliation.
The minister also noted that he had visited all regional police directorates and instructed local leadership to act without political bias. ?I do not want double standards? they must be uncompromising towards every vote buyer,? he stated.
Commenting on recent findings in Varna, where nearly 200,000 euros allegedly prepared for vote buying were discovered in envelopes with lists of citizens? personal data, Dechev described the case as a major success for the Interior Ministry.
Separate operations in the Kyustendil region also uncovered notebooks containing names, initials, and monetary amounts linked to alleged vote-buying schemes. In Rila and Kocherinovo, police seized notebooks with names and sums of money, along with an envelope containing banknotes totaling 1,450 euros. A 44-year-old woman from Rila was identified as the user of one of the premises, while a 27-year-old suspect from Kocherinovo was detained. In both cases, pre-trial proceedings were launched and the prosecutor's office was notified.
