According to an opinion poll conducted by Alpha Research and published by public television channel BNT, Kirill Petkov’s We Continue the Change party won Sunday’s Bulgarian elections with 26.4 percent. Its main rival, the Gerb party of former prime minister Boyko Borissov, won 25.5 percent. Three other parties also entered Parliament, according to the poll, which may not reflect the exact results expected later tonight or Monday.
The country of 6.5 million people, the European Union’s poorest, is seeking a way out of years of political deadlock after a series of inconclusive opinion polls left no political force with enough support to win a ruling majority. If the impasse persists, the abstract writes, another snap election could be held this year bloomberg.
During two years of short-lived governments, most power was in the hands of provisional governments appointed by President Romain Radev, who, despite being a former fighter pilot and NATO-trained general, took a pro-Moscow stance.
“Forming a government remains a big difficulty,” Boriana Dimitrova, managing partner at Alpha Research, told BNT TV. The close end shown by opinion polls means that it is necessary to wait for the official result to determine how the negotiations to form the government proceed.
The crisis deepened the isolation of the Balkan country in the European Union, and the planned accession to the eurozone at the beginning of next year had to be postponed. In addition, uncertainty about strength has delayed the withdrawal of EU economic stimulus subsidies. The impasse also halted the process of drafting the 2023 budget law, and Central Bank Governor Dimitar Radev will remain in office two years after the end of his term, because the two parties cannot agree on a successor.
If opinion polls are accurate, Petkov’s bloc will be the first to receive a mandate to form a government from the president. Petkoff, a Harvard-educated former businessman, has vowed to form a minority government.
However, the projected distribution of seats in the 240-member parliament shows that he needs the support of Borisov’s Tryp or Borisov’s party, or at least two other parties, neither of which are potential partners. Especially the pro-Russian opposition party, which also opposes the introduction of the euro.
Cover photo: Kirill Petkov, former and new Bulgarian Prime Minister. Source: Borislav Troshev/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
