Bulgaria’s parliamentary elections: Interior Ministry says Peevski’s party leads in allegations of vote-buying

A total of 631 reports of vote-buying in favour of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms – New Beginning – led by Magnitsky Act-sanctioned Delyan Peevski – had been received by the Interior Ministry, caretaker minister Emil Dechev said on April 19.

Dechev was speaking at an Interior Ministry briefing after voting in Bulgaria’s April 19 2026 early parliamentary elections ended at 8pm, with the largest share of votes going to ex-president Roumen Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria.

Dechev said that there had been 318 reports of vote-buying in favour of former prime minister Boiko Borissov’s GERB-UDF coalition.

This was followed by 18 reports of vote-buying in favour of Vuzrazhdane, a pro-Russian party led by Kostadin Kostadinov.

Next in line were 16 about Radev’s populist Progressive Bulgaria, 13 about the Bulgarian Socialist Party – United Left coalition, 11 about the We Continue the Change – Democratic Bulgaria coalition, seven about nationalist – populist Velichie, four about the ITN party led by cable television presenter Slavi Trifonov and two about populist-nationalist Mech.

Dechev said that a total of 2974 reports had been received from the public about breaches of election law in the course of the campaign ahead of Bulgaria’s early parliamentary elections on April 19.

This was 204 per cent more than in the October 2024 early parliamentary elections, he said.

(Main photo: Interior Ministry)