Progressive Bulgaria, the party led by former President Rumen Radev, won a landslide victory in Bulgaria’s general election, official results showed on Monday. The party secured 44.6% of the vote after counting was complete, putting it on course to win around 130 seats in the 240-seat parliament — one of the largest single-party mandates in recent years.
Progressive Bulgaria finished well ahead of the pro-European We Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB) coalition and the long-dominant center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB), led by former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov.
Radev has called for a renewal of ties with Russia and is known as a critic of the EU. His election was welcomed by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, who said Russia was “impressed by the statements made by Mr Radev.” European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen also sent congratulations, writing that “Bulgaria is a proud member of the European family and plays an important role in tackling our common challenges” and that she looked forward to working together.
The snap vote followed the resignation of a conservative-led government amid nationwide anti-corruption protests last December. Bulgaria, the EU’s poorest member, has been gripped by a political crisis since 2021, when the conservative government of Boyko Borissov was toppled amid anti-corruption rallies. Bulgaria is also a member of NATO and joined the eurozone on January 1, shortly after entering the Schengen travel area.
The Sunday vote was the eighth election in five years. Many hope the outcome will end the political impasse that has long dogged the country. “We will do everything possible not to allow us to go (to elections) again. It is ruinous for Bulgaria,” Radev said after polls closed.
A newly formed center-left grouping under Radev had been tipped as the likely winner ahead of the vote, though projections suggested it might fall short of an absolute majority. After casting his ballot, the 62-year-old urged high turnout, saying mass voting was “the only way to drown vote-buying in a sea of free votes.” Radev, a former air force general who served nine years as president before stepping down in January to run, has pledged to combat what he calls the “oligarchic governance model” in the country.
Radev has advocated renewing ties with Russia and criticized military aid to Ukraine, though he has officially denounced Russia’s invasion and said he would not use Bulgaria’s veto to block EU aid to Kyiv if elected. He has also criticized the EU’s green energy policy as naive “in a world without rules.”
Borissov, voting in Bankya on the outskirts of Sofia, initially appeared pessimistic about GERB’s prospects and said his party would not enter any coalitions, instead acting as a constructive opposition and focusing on geopolitics such as national defense. Later, he struck a more measured tone, noting that “winning the election is one thing; governing is quite another. The election determines who is first, but negotiations will determine who governs. GERB can go into government and into opposition. And in politics, just as in life, patience is needed.” Borissov has served three terms as prime minister and campaigned on GERB’s record, highlighting achievements such as Bulgaria’s recent entry into the eurozone.
The result leaves Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria well positioned to form a government, but coalition talks and parliamentary negotiations will determine the shape and stability of the next administration.