‘We Continue the Change’ set to win Bulgaria’s November 2021 elections – partial results

The recently-formed “We Continue the Change” (WCC) party of former caretaker cabinet ministers Kiril Petkov and Assen Vassilev won the largest share of the vote in the November 14 parliamentary elections, according to partial results from the Central Election Commission.

With ballots from 93.3 per cent of all voting precincts tallied, WCC received 25.5 per cent of the votes, ahead of former Prime Minister Boiko Borissov’s GERB-Union of Democratic Forces electoral coalition, which had 22.8 per cent.

Predominantly ethnic Turk Movement for Rights and Freedoms was third with 13.2 per cent, boosted by the votes received outside of the country, where it had 38.8 per cent with ballots from 97.3 per cent of voting precincts counted, mainly due to a strong showing at the polling stations in Turkey.

Kornelia Ninova’s Bulgarian Socialist Party was fourth with 10.3 per cent, ahead of cable television presenter Slavi Trifonov’s ITN party with 9.6 per cent. Hristo Ivanov’s Democratic Bulgaria centre-right coalition was sixth with 6.2 per cent.

The partial results showed seven parties and coalitions surpassing the four per cent parliamentary representation threshold.

Pro-Russian and anti-vaxxer Vuzrazhdane party was set to join Parliament for the first time, with 4.9 per cent of the vote.

The “Rise Up Bulgaria! We’re Coming” coalition around former Ombudsman Maya Manolova, which was part of the short-lived 45th and 46th National Assemblies, would not return to Parliament, having received 2.3 per cent.

The final results, including the number of seats won by the parties and coalitions standing in the November 2021 parliamentary elections, were expected to be announced by the Central Election Commission later this week.

The names of the MPs in the 240-seat legislature would be announced several days later, allowing those candidates who stood for election in more than one electoral district to choose which one they would represent in the next Parliament.

In the first round of presidential elections, incumbent Roumen Radev received 49.4 per cent of the votes, ahead of Anastas Gerdzhikov on 22.8 per cent. The two will meet in a run-off scheduled for November 21.

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