Former Bulgarian President Radev`s coalition leads in elections

ArmInfo. The Progressive Bulgaria Alliance, led by former President Rumen Radev, is leading the parliamentary elections with 39.2% of the vote, according to exit poll data from Trend Research Group, released by the Associated Press on the evening of election day, Sunday, April 19.

According to the Trend Research Group, a public opinion research institute cited by the agency, Progressive Bulgaria secured the support of 39.2% of voters. Meanwhile, the center-right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) alliance of parties led by former Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, which promotes Bulgaria's further integration into the EU, garnered 15.1% of the vote.

The Need to Find a Coalition Partner

Despite a significant lead over its closest rival, the coalition led by Radev, who is considered a pro-Russian politician, will still be unable to form a government without partners, the Associated Press reports.

Meanwhile, AFP reports, citing two exit polls, that GERB is receiving approximately 16% of the vote. The liberal alliance "Continue Change - Democratic Bulgaria" (PP-DB), according to these data, managed to secure approximately 14% of the vote.

According to the Trend Research Group exit poll, six parties have a chance of overcoming the 4% threshold. Turnout in the elections was reportedly 43.4%.

These are the eighth parliamentary elections in Bulgaria in the past five years. The current snap elections were called following the resignation of the conservative-led government, which took place amid mass protests across the country that began in December 2025. Hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets demanding an independent judiciary and an end to corruption.

Rumen Radev's alliance made the fight against corruption the central theme of its election campaign. Observers note that half of this coalition's supporters are made up of pro-Russian citizens, while the other half are concerned about corruption.

Furthermore, the former president is supported by many voters who previously voted for the Bulgarian Socialist Party, the successor to the Communists who held power for 45 years. As AFP reports, Radev advocates cutting military aid to Ukraine.

Meanwhile, today, Bulgaria's Central Electoral Commission released updated vote count results: as of 8:00 AM on April 20, 78.24% of the votes had been processed. The Progressive Bulgaria Party of former President Rumen Radev has received 44.48% of the votes. (DW)