GERB leads in Bulgaria election, exit poll shows, heralding coalition talks

By Georgi Slavov

Bulgaria's centre-right GERB party was in the lead after a parliamentary election on Sunday, an exit poll showed, but it will have to seek a coalition partner to form a government.

The Alpha Research poll showed GERB winning 26.4% of the votes, while reformist We Continue the Change (PP) was seen coming second with 14.9% of the votes.

The ultra-nationalist Revival party was set to come third with 12.9% of the vote.

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Sunday's election, the seventh in four years, was triggered by the failure of Bulgaria's political parties to agree on forming a coalition government after an inconclusive election on June 9.

GERB leader Boyko Borissov thanked voters for their support and said his party would form a new government.

"We will work together with everyone except Revival," he said.

Bulgaria has been run by short-lived governments since 2020, when anti-graft protests helped to end a coalition led by the GERB party.

GERB would get 74 seats in the 240-seat parliament, while PP would get 42 seats, and Revival 36 seats, according to the Alpha Research poll.

"GERB has the responsibility to form a government, let's see what they propose," said Nikolai Denkov, former prime minister and member of the PP party.

"We are going to wait for the final results," he added.

Bulgaria needs a period of stable, well-functioning government to accelerate the flow of European Union funds into its creaking infrastructure and nudge it towards adoption of the euro.

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Plans to join the eurozone have already been pushed back twice because of missed inflation targets. Accession is currently slated for Jan. 25, 2025.

Many voters said they feared further uncertainty ahead.

"What was expected, happened more or less ... I think we are going to have more elections," said Vassil Vasilev, 60, after hearing the exit poll.

The first state election commission preliminary results are expected at 11 p.m. (2100 GMT).