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| - Bulgarians, who joined massive protests last summer against corruption, will head to the polls Sunday to elect a new parliament. Since 2009 the assembly has been dominated by the conservative GERB party of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov. Here are five things to know about the country. Bulgaria has the dubious honour of having one of the world's fastest shrinking populations. At the fall of communism there were almost nine million inhabitants but by 2019 that had dwindled to just 6.95 million owing to emigration, low birth rates and high mortality rates. Life expectancy is one of the lowest in the European Union at 74.5 years. The lack of a large enough workforce, particularly through an ongoing brain drain of educated professionals, is a major drag on economic growth. Bulgaria is the worst-rated EU country in the Corruption Perception Index compiled by the Transparency International NGO. The shadow economy accounts for just under 30 percent of economic activity, according to one estimate published by the IMF. Bribery is endemic in many areas of public life, including medicine, education, the police and the media. Bulgarians' frustration at the ubiquity of corrupt practices is heightened by frequent stories of the lavish lives lead by the political elite. Flats acquired at knock-down prices, villas built with EU funds, and privileges for oligarchs stand in stark contrast to the lot of most Bulgarians who have an average monthly salary of just 750 euros ($880), half the EU average. Meanwhile after-tax pensions of a mere 250 euros mean the elderly also struggle to make ends meet. Historically Bulgarians have often oriented themselves towards Russia rather than the West. According to a survey by the Pew research institute, 73 percent of Bulgarians have a positive view of Russia. Religious and linguistic ties -- both countries being predominantly Slav and Orthodox Christian -- were reinforced in 1878 when Moscow played a crucial role in the liberation of Bulgaria from Ottoman rule. The two countries also had a close relationship when Bulgaria was part of the communist eastern bloc together with the Soviet Union. Today, 11 percent of GDP is dependent on Russian investment, according to the Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD) think thank in Sofia. Another cultural link is the common use of the Cyrillic script, which Bulgaria claims was invented on its soil. North Macedonia also lays claim to being the birthplace of the script and both countries dedicate a holiday to it on May 24. Around 13 percent of Bulgarians belong to the Muslim minority, who experienced an attempt at forced assimilation under the communist regime. The community comprises ethnic Turks, Pomaks (Bulgarians who converted to Islam under Ottoman rule) and part of Bulgaria's Roma population. The political party set up to represent their interests, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), frequently plays the role of kingmaker between bigger parties after elections. The MRF guards its independence from neighbouring Turkey and instead advocates closer ties with Russia, in common with much of Bulgaria's political class. Bulgaria's festival calendar includes many traces of its pre-Christian pagan past. One example is the tradition of the "kukeri", who parade in elaborate monster costumes to chase away adverse winter spirits at the end of the season. Other examples that have been entwined with contemporary religious dates include a round dance in icy waters on Epiphany and the "nestinari" who dance over hot embers on the feast of Saints Constantine and Helen. vs-ds/bg/jsk/wai
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