In Bulgaria, the pro-Western centre-right coalition of former Prime Minister Boiko Borissov won Sunday’s parliamentary elections. In the fifth election in two years, GERB-SDS received 26.5 percent of the votes. This emerges from the preliminary results of the Central Election Commission published on Monday after counting all the election records.
The equally pro-Western liberal-conservative bloc PP-DB led by ex-Prime Minister Kiril Petkov comes in second with 24.5 percent. In terms of foreign policy, both major camps agree on supporting Ukraine in the Russian war of aggression, including with arms deliveries.
Six parties come into parliament
A total of six parties cleared the four percent hurdle to enter parliament. Among them is again the pro-Russian and nationalist Vazrashdane (Rebirth). With 14.1 percent, the party founded in 2014 became the third-strongest political force for the first time. In the early parliamentary elections six months ago, she was fourth with 10.1 percent.
The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) of the Turkish minority (13.7 percent) and the Socialists (8.9 percent) are also moving into parliament in Sofia. The populist ITN of the entertainer Slawi Trifonov, which remained outside of parliament after the previous election in 2022, just managed to get into parliament with 4.1 percent.
With this balance of power, the formation of a new government is likely to be complicated, political scientists agree. On the day after the election, it was still unclear whether a grand coalition could be formed. Top politicians from the top-ranked parties kept a low profile. Until a regular government is in place, the interim cabinet appointed by Head of State Rumen Radew in view of the new elections will continue to run official business.
At the end of 2022, the parliament in Sofia approved the first military aid package for Kiev. But President Radev, who is considered pro-Russia, said Bulgaria would not supply arms to Ukraine as long as the interim cabinet he had appointed is in power. Borisov called on the pro-Western parties to form a regular government after this election.
The ballot on Sunday was the fifth parliamentary election in two years – the turnout was just 40 percent. In 2020, months of anti-corruption protests rocked the government of then Prime Minister Borisov, who had ruled Bulgaria for almost a decade. Since then, all elections have resulted in fragmented parliaments, with neither party able to form a functioning government.
Borisov’s GERB-SDS alliance was voted out of office in 2021 after allegations of corruption and protests. PP and DB were involved in a four-party government with Prime Minister Petkov until June 2022, which was overthrown by a vote of no confidence. (apa/dpa)