Former president Rumen Radev will win Bulgaria election, exit poll suggests
PBS • • general
Key Points:
- An exit poll in Bulgaria indicates that the center-left Progressive Bulgaria coalition, led by ex-president Rumen Radev, is likely to win the parliamentary election with 39.2% support, surpassing the center-right GERB party's 15.1%.
- Despite the lead, Radev's coalition may not secure enough seats to form a one-party government, necessitating coalition-building in a fragmented parliament where six parties are expected to pass the 4% threshold.
- The election, Bulgaria's eighth in five years, follows the resignation of a conservative government amid mass protests demanding judicial independence and anti-corruption measures.
- Radev, who resigned from the presidency to run for prime minister, is seen as a pro-Russian, Eurosceptic leader promising to dismantle oligarchic corruption and bring political renewal to Bulgaria.
- His potential victory aligns with regional political shifts, coming shortly after Hungary rejected authoritarian and far-right policies linked to close ties with Russia.
