Listless Bulgarian voters turn back to Borissov as political stalemate continues

In the country's seventh election since 2021, voter participation remained low.

Oct 28, 2024 - 09:00

Former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov’s party came out on top Sunday in Bulgaria’s seventh parliamentary election in four years — but once again lacks a clear majority to form a government.

Borissov’s GERB won 27 percent of the vote, with anti-corruption alliance We Continue the Change coming second on 14.5 percent. The pro-Russian Revival party finished third with 12.5 percent.

The results are a small improvement for GERB from June elections, in which it took 24.5 percent support. The Movement for Rights and Freedoms, one of whose two factions is led by sanctioned oligarch Delyan Peevski, fell to fourth place. His party had been targeted by hackers in the run-up to the election.

Electoral participation also seems to have improved, although only slightly and from an eye-catchingly low baseline. Exit poll data published by Alpha Research at 19:00 as the polls closed showed 38 percent voter turnout, up from 34.4 percent in the June election.

“People want a government, [they want] security and stability,” Borissov told reporters in the town of Bankya before the final vote count was known.

Borissov served as the country’s PM for 13 years before nationwide protests erupted in 2020 against his government, which was blamed for letting oligarchs take control of state institutions.

“One of the main political paradoxes in recent years is that (almost) everyone is convinced of the corruption of certain individuals, but they continue to be at the top of the parliament and win political elections,” wrote Daniel Smilov, director for the rule of law at the Centre for Liberal Strategies in Sofia. “Support for their parties is paradoxical because in their personal capacity they cannot convince almost anyone that they are decent.”