Bulgaria Holds Eighth Parliamentary Election in Five Years

Bulgarians voted in a parliamentary election on Sunday, the country's eighth in five years. An exit poll conducted by Alpha Research and reported by Reuters indicated the Progressive Bulgaria party, led by former President Rumen Radev, received 38.1% of the vote. Official results are expected on Monday.

The election follows the collapse of the previous conservative-led government in December after mass protests.

Election Details and Projected Results

Polling stations opened at 7:00 AM local time (04:00 GMT) and closed at 17:00 GMT.

According to the exit poll:

• The Progressive Bulgaria party, led by former President Rumen Radev, received 38.1% of the vote.
• The conservative GERB party, led by former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, was projected to receive 15.9%.
• The reformist We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB) coalition was projected to receive 14.1%.

Official election results are expected to be announced on Monday.

Political Background and Context

The election follows the removal of the previous government in December 2023. Those protests involved hundreds of thousands of people, primarily young people, who called for an independent judiciary to address corruption.

Bulgaria has experienced repeated political instability since 2021, with fragmented parliaments leading to coalition governments that have not lasted more than a year. The country is a member of the European Union, which it joined in 2007, and adopted the euro as its currency in January 2024.

Key Candidates and Positions

Rumen Radev

The former president, a former air force general, resigned from the presidency in January after nine years to run for prime minister. He had backed the anticorruption protests in late 2023 and promised to change what he described as an "oligarchic governance model."

Radev has advocated for renewing ties with Russia and has criticized sending military aid to Ukraine, as well as a 10-year defense agreement signed between Bulgaria and Ukraine in March. Critics have accused him of being pro-Russian. Radev has stated he would not use Bulgaria's veto power to block European Union decisions.

Boyko Borissov

The former longtime leader's GERB party was projected to finish second. Following the exit poll, Borissov wrote on Facebook, "Elections decide who comes first, but negotiations will decide who governs."

Post-Election Statements and Next Steps

After the exit poll was released, Radev stated he would be willing to work with other parties but that a minority government was also an option.

"We will do everything possible not to allow us to go [to elections] again. It is ruinous for Bulgaria," he said. "We are ready to consider different options so that Bulgaria can have a regular and stable government."

The election occurred days after voters in Hungary participated in European Parliament elections, where the policies of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, which have included cultivating close ties with Russia, were a subject of discussion.