First vote projections confirm uncertain outcome in Bulgarian elections

The first actual vote projections confirm a new uncertain outcome in early elections held this Sunday in Bulgaria, the fourth in 18 months.

Former Prime Minister Boiko Borissov’s Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party has been the top vote-getter with 23.5 percent of the vote and would win 63 of the 240 seats in Bulgaria’s National Assembly, according to the projection prepared by the Gallup firm and published by the Bulgarian news agency Novinite.

Trailing behind is the centrist We Continue with Change party (PP, 19.5 percent and 53 seats), whose leader, Kiril Petkov, was prime minister with the support of the Bulgarian Socialist Party. A motion of censure passed in June was the judgment of the government and led to the calling of early elections this Sunday.

The third most voted party is the Turkish-Muslim party Movement for Rights and Freedoms (15 percent and 41 deputies), followed by the ultranationalist Renaissance (10 percent and 27 seats), the Coalition for Bulgaria which includes the Bulgarian Socialist Party (8.9 percent and 24 deputies) and the centrist Democratic Bulgaria (7 percent and 19 acts).

Behind and already below the 4 percent minimum set by the electoral legislation is Existe tal Pueblo (3.8 percent) and Arise Bulgaria (1.1).

The turnout was 39.5 percent and the option “I support none” was chosen by 3.4 percent of voters. Reliable official results are not expected until Monday.

These results do not represent a drastic change with respect to the pre-poll scenario, so the formation of a government is presumed to be difficult. The arithmetic makes necessary a coalition of at least three parties to form a stable government and an agreement between two formations is not enough.