Former Bulgarian President Rumen Radev declared victory after parliamentary elections, saying voters had overcome political apathy, as partial official results confirmed his Progressive Bulgaria coalition had taken a commanding lead.
With 32.85% of precinct protocols processed by the Central Election Commission shortly after midnight, Progressive Bulgaria was on 44.59% of the vote, ahead of PP-DB on 15.0% and GERB-SDS on 12.62%. Vazrazhdane was on 4.78% and DPS on 4.11%, while BSP-United Left was below the 4% threshold at 2.98%.
A full parallel count by polling agency Myara earlier showed a similar picture, putting Progressive Bulgaria on 45.0%, PP-DB on 12.6% and GERB-SDS on 12.3%, with five parties projected to enter the 240-seat parliament and BSP remaining below the threshold. The same tally estimated turnout at 48.9% by 8 p.m.
Speaking after polls closed, Radev said the election had delivered “a victory of hope over distrust” and “freedom over fear,” while cautioning that much work remained to rebuild public trust in politics. He said he would comment in greater detail once final results were available.
Asked about restoring dialogue with Russia, Radev said other European leaders had already argued for renewed engagement, and called on Europe to act more pragmatically on energy and competitiveness. Reuters has previously reported that Radev campaigned on an anti-corruption platform while taking a more sceptical line on some Western policies toward Russia and military support for Ukraine.
The Interior Ministry said it had received 2,974 reports linked to election offences, up 204% from the previous parliamentary election in October 2024, and had opened 614 pre-trial proceedings. Interior Minister Emil Dechev said the largest number of complaints alleging vote-buying concerned DPS-New Beginning, followed by GERB. Those allegations have not been independently verified.
Abroad, Bulgaria’s foreign ministry said voting had ended across Australia, Asia, Africa and most of Europe, with some stations in Turkey, London and several other European countries extending voting hours in line with election rules. Bulgaria opened 493 polling stations in 55 countries for the vote, the ministry said.
The election is Bulgaria’s latest snap vote after years of political deadlock and repeated failures to form durable governments. Earlier exit polls had already pointed to a strong lead for Radev’s bloc, though coalition arithmetic will determine whether that lead can be turned into a stable government.