Bulgarians head to the polls on 12 May to replace their caretaker government. Since February seven people have set themselves on fire and angry protests have erupted against the rising cost of living, unemployment and political corruption in the European Union's poorest country. With more than 22 per cent of the country living below the official poverty line, many cannot cope with the uncertainites ahead, says Maria Jeliazkova, executive director of the European Anti-Poverty Network in Bulgaria.