Bulgaria - April 2023

On 2 April, Bulgaria held parliamentary elections for the fifth time in two years. The country has experienced several crises ever since the 2020 anti-corruption protests brought down the Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) centre-right government led by Boyko Borissov, who had ruled the country for over a decade. The elections did not produce a clear winner, as GERB emerged first with 26.5 per cent of votes, and the reformist coalition of We Continue the Change (PP) and Democratic Bulgaria (DB) came second with 24.5 per cent. The pro-Russian Revival party placed third for the first time (14.2 per cent of the vote). The election results could lead to lengthy coalition talks and continued political gridlock. There is speculation that Russia-leaning President Rumen Radev, who has been wielding executive power through caretaker cabinets since 2021, could steer the country towards presidential rule. Similar to the 2022 elections, the voter turnout was 39.1 per cent. Women made up 23.9 per cent of the candidates and will hold 24.1 per cent of the parliament’s seats. International observers deemed the elections competitive and well-managed but said the frequent legal framework changes presented challenges.

Sources: OSCE ODIHR, Politico (1), Politico (2), Balkan Insight, Central Election Commission of Bulgaria, IPU, International IDEA