According to electoral polls, the GERB moves between 24.6 and 25.5 percent, the PP between 18.9 and 19.9 percent of votes. Official results are only expected in the next few days. Interim results should be available by Monday at the earliest.
Petkov admitted his party’s defeat. As the main political force, the GERB must now take responsibility and form a governing coalition, he demanded in front of the press. He was ousted by a vote of no confidence in June after just seven months in office. He came to power last year after a protest vote against Prime Minister Borissov, which was controversial because of several corruption cases. Before the polls closed, Borissov was open to talks with “all parties”.
APA/AFP/Nikolay Doychinov Bojko Borissow as the sole winner of the election of the night
Post-voting is pre-voting?
While Borissov’s GERB is shunned by the other parties, the previous three parties in the PP coalition, Socialists (BSP) and pro-European Democratic Bulgaria (DB) coalition are unlikely to achieve a majority in the new parliament.
An expansion of the previous three-party coalition to include additional forces is considered unlikely due to large differences in content. This indicates a continuation of the political impasse. Observers see the course already set for new early elections.
Surprising result for liberals
The result for the Turkish minority liberal party DPS is surprisingly good: with 14.4%, it became the third strongest party. With 10.2 percent, the co-ruling Socialists drop to fourth place. The anti-European, pro-Russian Wazraschdane (Renaissance) party, which represented the smallest faction in the last parliament, is nearly equal – at ten percent.
The pro-European alliance Democratic Bulgaria was elected by 7.9% of Bulgarians. It is somewhat surprising that the populist formation “There is such a people” (ITN) is also returning to parliament with 4.2%. TV star Slawi Trifonov’s party brought about the overthrow of the reformist government and lost much sympathy as a result.
Portal/Stoyan Nenov Petkov was only in second place
low participation
It was the fourth election in 17 months. The turnout was almost 35%, which says a lot about the political disenchantment of the 6.5 million Bulgarians after a year and a half of political instability.
Portal/Susana Vera Rumen Radev
If a sufficient majority is not found, President Rumen Radew will have to act again. Then the country would continue to be controlled by an interim government appointed by Radev. In this case, the Bulgarian constitution gives the president great powers with little control.
Radev is popular but has also been criticized for his pro-Russian stance. The war of aggression against Ukraine is, of course, a dominant theme in the election campaign, as is the associated inflation in the poorest country in the EU. Bulgaria is not only a member of the EU, it is also a member of NATO.
Radew’s course oscillates between West and East, and society is also divided. The EU is popular, but the group of opponents or skeptics of the EU is also large. Bulgaria condemns the war of aggression against Ukraine, and the false referendums must not be recognized either. On the other hand, Radev’s transitional government recently decided to negotiate with Russian state-owned Gazprom to resume gas supplies.
Between East and West
One in three is also against Bulgaria joining NATO, as requested by the research agency Mediana, according to the APA. “The high rate of inflation and the escalation of the war in Ukraine are the main reasons for the growing number of EU and NATO skeptics in Bulgaria,” he said.
Political scientist Parvan Simeonow considers disillusionment with democracy one of the worst-case scenarios. “I hope that at some point no one wants to govern and everyone expects the president to take the chestnuts out of the fire,” he told the Euractiv news platform. Responding to rumors that some parties may hand the ball over to the president for exclusive power, Simeonov said: “It’s not a ball, it’s a hot potato – they’re looking for someone to take responsibility.”