Rumen Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria scored a commanding victory in Bulgaria’s eighth parliamentary election in five years, reshaping the country’s political landscape and potentially ending the cycle of short-lived coalition governments.
With 96% of ballots counted, Progressive Bulgaria stood at 44.7% of the vote, a result that would give the movement an absolute majority in the 240-seat National Assembly — the first single-party majority since 1997. Turnout was projected to be around 50%, up from 39% in 2024.
“Progressive Bulgaria has won decisively. This is a victory of hope over mistrust, a victory of freedom over fear,” Radev said after initial parallel counts, accusing established parties of complacency and manipulation. He has promised to fight corruption, tackle inflation and pursue a more independent foreign policy within the EU, while not ruling out dialogue with Russia.
Established parties suffered heavy losses. Just five parties are set to enter parliament compared with nine after the last election. The centre-right GERB party, led by three-time prime minister Boyko Borissov, fell below 20% for the first time and stood at 13.4%, narrowly ahead of the opposition liberal PP-DB on 12.8%. The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) fell to 6.6% from 11.5% in 2024, and There Is Such a People received less than 1%. The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) failed to cross the 4% threshold and will not enter parliament — the first time this has happened since 1990.
The results follow mass protests in December against Borissov and DPS leader Delyan Peevski, who was accused of exerting undue influence behind the scenes. The US and UK have sanctioned Peevski for alleged corruption.
Allegations of vote-buying were prominent in the election aftermath. The Interior Ministry reported that DPS and GERB generated the most official reports of buying votes, with 631 and 318 reports respectively. Authorities said they had seized over €1.2 million earmarked for vote-buying and detained more than 370 suspected vote buyers. Interior Minister Emil Dechev said the seizures were likely only a fraction of the total and noted evidence involving about 50 individuals with immunity.
Progressive Bulgaria drew support across age groups, including Gen Z activists who protested last December, middle-aged voters and older voters. Radev also captured a strong overseas vote and attracted many who had not voted in the previous parliamentary election. His movement also pulled voters from the far-right Revival party, whose support fell from 13.3% in 2024 to 4.3% but remained above the parliamentary threshold.
Despite the parliamentary majority, Radev faces substantial challenges. He must produce a 2026 budget — the first since Bulgaria joined the eurozone on January 1 — and adopt measures to cushion inflation linked to the war in the Middle East. Judicial reform and stability top public expectations, but any constitutional or key judicial changes will require a two-thirds majority (160 seats), meaning Radev will need support from other parties for such measures. Estimates put Progressive Bulgaria at roughly 130–132 MPs.
Radev, a former air force general who served as president for nine years before stepping down in January to run, has vowed to dismantle what he calls an “oligarchic governance model.” His movement is built around relatively unfamiliar figures — experts, sportspeople and economists — rather than a long-established party apparatus. That structural weakness could test the movement’s capacity to govern, though the parliamentary majority gives Radev a stronger platform to implement his agenda than recent newcomers have had.
On foreign policy, Radev and his party sought to balance pro-Russian-leaning supporters with reassurance to pro-European voters. During the campaign, Radev declined to condemn Russian President Vladimir Putin’s actions in Ukraine and has previously advocated resuming energy imports from Russia and opposed military aid to Ukraine. He says he will not veto joint EU decisions but may opt out of them if they harm Bulgaria’s national interest. Critics fear this stance could shift Bulgaria away from a staunchly pro-European course; Radev has emphasized pragmatism, energy security and industrial policy as priorities.
What Radev’s victory ultimately means for Bulgaria’s domestic reforms and its role in the European Union will depend on the choices his government makes once in power. A stable, single-party government could end years of fragmented coalition politics, but delivering on high public expectations — particularly on corruption, justice and economic stability — will be the crucial test.
Edited by: Aingeal Flanagan