Exit poll shows former President Radev’s party set to win Bulgaria election

Exit canvass shows Rumen Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria enactment winning 38.1 percent of the vote.

Former President Rumen Radev’s centre-left Progressive Bulgaria enactment is connected people to triumph a parliamentary election, accoding to an exit canvass published hours aft voting closed.

Bulgarians formed their ballots connected Sunday for the eighth clip successful 5 years aft wide protests led to the removal of the erstwhile blimpish authorities successful December.

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While authoritative results aren’t expected until Monday, an exit canvass conducted by Sofia-based Alpha Research showed Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria winning 38.1 percent of the vote, the Reuters quality bureau reported.

Former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov’s blimpish GERB was trailing successful 2nd spot with 15.9 percent of the vote, the exit canvass shows, portion the reformist We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB) conjugation was projected to decorativeness 3rd with 14.1 percent. Radev said helium would beryllium consenting to enactment with them, but that a number authorities was besides an option.

Borissov wrote successful a station connected Facebook that “Elections determine who comes first, but negotiations volition determine who governs.”

Radev, a left-leaning eurosceptic, stepped down from the presidency aft 9 years successful January to motorboat his bid to go premier minister. He backed the anti-corruption protests that saw hundreds of thousands of mostly young radical instrumentality to the streets successful December, and promised to get escaped of the “oligarchic governance model”.

“We volition bash everything imaginable not to let america to spell [to elections] again. It is ruinous for Bulgaria,” Radev told reporters aft the exit canvass was released. “We are acceptable to see antithetic options truthful that Bulgaria tin person a regular and unchangeable government.”

The Balkan state has seen fragmented parliaments successful caller years, with coalitions failing to past much than a twelvemonth since 2021.

Former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov casts his ballot successful a polling presumption successful Bankya, Bulgaria, Sunday, April 19, 2026 [Valentina Petrova/AP]

Radev has called for renewing ties with Moscow and criticised supplying Ukraine with weapons successful its warfare to fend disconnected Russia’s invasion. He besides opposed the 10-year defence statement signed betwixt Bulgaria and Ukraine successful March, and has been accused by critics of being excessively pro-Russian.

Bulgaria’s predetermination comes successful the aftermath of Hungary’s Viktor Orban’s decision past week aft 16 years successful power. The right-wing premier curate mislaid to Péter Magyar’s Tisza centre-leaning absorption party, which swept 70 percent of the seats successful parliament successful a landslide.

Bulgaria joined the European Union successful 2007, and adopted the euro arsenic its currency successful January this year.