Bulgaria Establishes Unit to Combat Disinformation Ahead of Elections

On March 23, 2026, Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry established a temporary coordination mechanism to counter disinformation and hybrid threats ahead of the April 19 parliamentary elections. The initiative, led by Ambassador-at-Large for Resilience Building Maria Spassova, aims to enhance information resilience amid anticipated disinformation campaigns. The mechanism will centralize monitoring and analysis of disinformation and external interference, producing risk assessments and analytical reports for the Ministry's leadership. It will also coordinate institutional communication responses and engage with international partners, including EU and NATO. The government has reported an increase in alerts and pretrial proceedings related to the elections, indicating a heightened focus on managing foreign influence and misinformation. This structure is part of a broader effort to ensure the integrity of the electoral process and protect sensitive foreign policy topics during the campaign.

Key Points: • Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry created a unit to combat disinformation ahead of elections. • The mechanism will centralize monitoring and analysis of disinformation efforts. • Increased alerts and pretrial proceedings indicate rising concerns about foreign interference.