Third time lucky? Bulgaria hopes to end long political stalemate

Boyko Borissov, former Bulgarian Prime Minister and leader of centre-right GERB party looks on after meeting supporters in the town of Teteven, Bulgaria, November 10, 2021. Picture taken November 10, 2021. REUTERS/Stoyan Nenov

SOFIA (Reuters) - Bulgaria holds its third parliamentary election this year on Sunday in the hope of finally securing a government to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic, deal with rising energy prices and wipe out corruption.

No party is expected to win an outright majority and the European Union's poorest member state is likely to face its third round of difficult coalition talks in a deeply fractured parliament this year.