Bulgarian elections: Radev’s party set for majority in five-party Parliament – preliminary results
Former president Roumen Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria electoral coalition won Bulgaria’s April 19 early parliamentary elections and was set to have a majority in the next Parliament, which would feature five parties and coalitions, according to preliminary results from Bulgaria’s Central Election Commission (CEC).
With ballots from all voting precincts tallied, Progressive Bulgaria received 44.59 per cent of the vote, exceeding the election night exit polls projections. The CEC does not provide estimates for seats won while the vote count is ongoing.
Former prime minister Boiko Borissov’s GERB-UDF coalition was second with 13.39 per cent, having overtaken We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (WCC-DB) centre-right electoral coalition, which was ahead earlier but finished on 12.62 per cent of the vote, according to CEC data.
The predominantly ethnic Turk Movement for Rights and Freedoms – New Beginning, led by Magnitsky Act-sanctioned Delyan Peevski, was fourth with 7.12 per cent and Pro-Russian Vuzrazhdane was set to be the smallest group in the 52nd National Assembly after receiving 4.26 per cent.
Several parties and coalitions fell short of the four per cent threshold for parliamentary representation: nationalist-populist Mech and Velichie with 3.23 per cent and 3.1 per cent, respectively, the centre-left Bulgarian Socialist Party – United Left coalition with 3.02 per cent and Siyanie on 2.89 per cent.
The final results, including the number of seats won by the parties and coalitions standing in the April 2026 parliamentary election, were due to be announced by the Central Election Commission by April 23.
The names of the MPs in the 240-seat legislature would be announced by April 27, allowing those candidates who stood for election in more than one electoral district to choose which seat they will take.
The CEC was yet to announce the final turnout figures, but said that 34.63 per cent had cast ballots as of 4pm on April 19, compared to 26.25 per cent recorded at the same point in the October 2024 parliamentary election. Final turnout in that election was 38.94 per cent.
(Photo: parliament.bg)
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