Bulgarians go to the polls for the eighth time in five years

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Bulgaria which goes to the polls today for the eighth time in just five years as the country struggles to break a cycle of collapsing coalitions and political instability. Polling stations open at 7am local time (0400 GMT) and are due to close at 1700 GMT, according to AFP. Also on today's programme: Astronaut Jeremy Hansen's daughter, Ashley Hansen describes the feeling of seeing her dad in space after his return from Artemis II mission; and more on how the catwalk fashion show evolved and changed through the ages. Presenter Gary O'Donoghue is joined by Anton Spisak, a political economist and senior fellow at the Centre for European Reform, and Dalal Mawad, an award-winning Lebanese journalist and author of All She Lost. Photo: Rumen Radev, former Bulgarian president and leader of Progressive Bulgaria coalition, votes during the parliamentary election, in Sofia, Bulgaria, April 19, 2026. Reuters/Stoyan Nenov