This text was published by BROD, one of fifteen EDMO Hubs.
With Bulgaria’s parliamentary elections on 19 April 2026 less than two weeks away, this second briefing documents an intensification of cognitive shaping and electoral delegitimisation efforts identified throughout March 2026. The briefing maps a strategic shift from simple narrative promotion to proactive institutional erosion, tracking how coordinated information operations generate massive reach to undermine trust in the democratic process. Key findings include the generation of over 340 million impressions across high-impact operations and the systematic reframing of legitimate law enforcement actions as “junta” tactics. The briefing highlights the “Soros Government” operation as a prime example of cross-border narrative laundering originating from Budapest, alongside coordinated efforts to preemptively neutralise the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ counter-disinformation mechanisms by branding them as “mass censorship.” Structural vulnerabilities identified include the speed of automated distribution pipelines, the mainstreaming of fringe conspiracies through high-traffic outlets and the import of international precedents (such as the Romanian election annulment) to frame future regulatory actions as anti-democratic. The briefing serves as an executive risk update on the convergence of state capture and information manipulation, focusing on the infrastructure used to ensure voters perceive the upcoming election as a battlefield of institutional collapse rather than a fair democratic exercise.