Overview
- Progressive Bulgaria, which led Monday’s official count with about 44.7% of votes and roughly 130 of 240 seats, put Rumen Radev on course to become prime minister pending formal steps.
- The performance beat exit polls that showed around 38–39% support, with GERB and the reformist PP-DB trailing in the low to mid teens.
- Radev has opposed sending arms to Ukraine and calls for practical ties with Russia, raising questions about Bulgaria’s line inside the EU and NATO even as he says the country will stay on its European path.
- The election followed December’s mass anti-corruption protests that forced a government resignation, and police said they seized over €1.2 million and detained hundreds in a pre‑vote crackdown on alleged vote buying.
- Early priorities include passing a 2026 budget after euro adoption, easing cost‑of‑living pressures, and advancing judicial reforms that would need support beyond a simple majority.