Tired of political turmoil, Bulgarians give ex-President a convincing mandate for change

The center-left coalition of ex-President Rumen Radev has emerged as the clear winner of Bulgaria’s parliamentary election, the country’s central electoral commission said on Monday (April 20, 2026), ending half a decade of political fragmentation.

With 96% of the ballots counted by early Monday (April 20, 2026), the results showed the Progressive Bulgaria coalition receiving 44.7% of the vote, over 20% points ahead of the centre-right GERB party of veteran leader Boyko Borissov and the pro-Western reformist bloc led by the We Continue the Change party. Both parties ran neck-to-neck, scoring 13.4% and 12.9% respectively.

Two other parties also appear to have gained seats in the 240-seat chamber, according to the latest results.