Q&A: Bulgaria's nuclear energy referendum

The plant was due to be built near Belene

Bulgaria holds a referendum on 27 January on whether the country should build a second nuclear power plant.

The vote has polarised opinion in the country, where nuclear energy has been a sensitive political topic ever since Bulgaria had to close four of its old reactors at the Kozloduy plant as a precondition for its 2007 EU membership.

The referendum is also seen as an exercise by the two main political parties in testing the waters ahead of this year's parliamentary elections, and a reflection of attempts to break free from Russian energy dominance.

What prompted the referendum?

Does Bulgaria really need another nuclear plant?

Will a new plant make Bulgaria more energy-independent?

Does the vote matter?

What happens if the vote is void?

BBC Monitoring reports and analyses news from TV, radio, web and print media around the world. For more reports from BBC Monitoring, click here. You can follow BBC Monitoring on Twitter and Facebook.