Former President Rumen Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria party led early vote counts with 44.59 percent of ballots tallied from 32 percent of polling stations, according to official results released Monday morning.
The snap parliamentary election, Bulgaria’s eighth in five years, followed mass protests in December that toppled the previous conservative government. Radev, who stepped down as president in January after nine years in office, positioned his campaign around dismantling what he called an “oligarchic governance model” and ending the cycle of frequent elections.
An updated exit poll by Sofia-based Alpha Research, cited by Reuters, projected Radev’s party securing 44 percent of the vote, well ahead of former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov’s GERB party at 12.5 percent. The reformist We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB) coalition was expected to place third.
Radev said he would consider cooperation with PP-DB but remained open to forming a minority government, stressing the necessitate for stability. “We will do everything possible not to allow us to go [to elections] again. It is ruinous for Bulgaria,” he told reporters after the exit poll results were released.
Borissov acknowledged the outcome in a Facebook post, writing: “Elections decide who comes first, but negotiations will decide who governs.” His conservative GERB party has been a dominant force in Bulgarian politics for over a decade but faced renewed scrutiny over corruption allegations that fueled the December protests.
The election carries broader geopolitical weight as Bulgaria, which adopted the euro in January 2026, seeks to define its foreign policy orientation. Radev, described by critics as Kremlin-friendly, has advocated for renewed ties with Moscow and opposed supplying weapons to Ukraine, including a 10-year defence agreement signed between Bulgaria and Ukraine in March.
For more on this story, see Bulgaria Election: Progressive Bulgaria Dominates Campaign Funding.
His potential victory comes shortly after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s defeat in April, removing a key ally for Moscow within the European Union and increasing attention on Bulgaria as a possible gateway for Russian influence in the bloc.
Bulgaria has struggled with government formation since 2021, with no coalition lasting more than a year. Radev’s pledge to end political instability resonated with voters weary of constant campaigning, though his pro-Russian stance has drawn concern from NATO allies and EU officials wary of shifting alignments.
Observers note that Radev’s appeal lies partly in his outsider status despite his long presidency, having positioned himself as a reformer backed by the anti-corruption protests that drew hundreds of thousands of young people to the streets in December.
This follows our earlier report, Radev: Bulgaria to Prioritize Affordable Energy Over Ideology | News.
Whether his party can translate its lead into a functional government remains uncertain, as fragmented parliaments and deep ideological divides have hampered governance in recent years. Coalition talks are expected to begin in earnest once all votes are officially certified.
What does Radev’s lead imply for Bulgaria’s government formation?
Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria party is positioned to lead coalition negotiations, but its 44 percent projected vote share falls short of a majority, requiring cooperation with other parties or acceptance of a minority government.
Why is this election significant for Moscow and the European Union?
The vote is seen as a test of Moscow’s ability to maintain influence in the EU following Orban’s loss in Hungary, with Radev’s pro-Russia foreign policy stance potentially offering Kyiv a renewed foothold in Brussels if he assumes power.
