2017 Bulgarian parliamentary election

Parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria on 26 March 2017. They had originally been scheduled for 2018 at the end of the four-year term of the National Assembly. However, following the resignation of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and the failure of Bulgarian parties to form a government, early elections were called.[1] Borisov resigned following the defeat of Tsetska Tsacheva, the candidate of his GERB party, in the November 2016 presidential elections.[2][3] The official election campaign began on 24 February.[4]

2017 Bulgarian parliamentary election
26 March 2017
All 240 seats in the National Assembly
121 seats needed for a majority
Turnout54.07%
Party Leader % Seats ±
GERB Boyko Borisov 32.65% 95 +11
BSP Korneliya Ninova 27.19% 80 +41
United Patriots Valeri Simeonov, Krasimir Karakachanov and Volen Siderov 9.07% 27 -3
DPS Mustafa Karadaya 8.99% 26 -12
Volya Veselin Mareshki 4.15% 12 New
This lists parties that won seats. See the complete results below.
Results by electoral district.
Prime Minister before Prime Minister after
Ognyan Gerdzhikov
NDSV		 Boyko Borisov
GERB
Bulgaria
This article is part of a series on the
politics and government of
Bulgaria

GERB won a plurality, with 95 of the 240 seats. Borisov was elected Prime Minister again after negotiating a governing coalition.[5]

Background

During the 2016 presidential election campaign, Borisov promised to resign if his party's candidate, Chairperson of the National Assembly Tsetska Tsacheva, lost the election.

On 6 November 2016 Tsacheva finished second in the first round to BSP-backed Major General Rumen Radev, receiving only 22% of the popular vote compared to Radev's 25.4%.[6] Following the result, Borisov reiterated his promise to resign if his party's candidate lost the runoff election a week later. On November 13, 2016, she finished a distant second with only 36.2% of the popular vote compared to Radev's 59.4%.[7]

Borisov, staying true to his campaign promise, subsequently resigned on 14 November.[8] Two days later, the National Assembly voted 218–0 to accept it.[9]

Electoral system

The 240 members of the National Assembly are elected by closed list proportional representation from 31 multi-member constituencies ranging in size from 4 to 16 seats. The electoral threshold is 4%.[10]

Bulgarians abroad were able to vote in 371 voting sections in 70 foreign countries and territories. Some territories were excluded from this provision due to either security concerns (e.g. Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya and Syria) or that very few resident Bulgarian nationals resident in the country had submitted requests to be enabled to vote (e.g. Ethiopia, Indonesia, Mongolia, North Korea and Pakistan).[11]

Participating parties

The deadline for political parties to register for the election was 8 February 2017.[12] Despite holding 15 seats in the Assembly, Reload Bulgaria chose not to compete in the election after being initially refused a name change, among other reasons.[13] The list of registered parties is below.[14]

Party or coalition Leader Ideology European affiliation
GERB Boyko Borisov Conservatism, pro-Europeanism, populism European People's Party
BSP for Bulgaria Bulgarian Socialist Party Korneliya Ninova Socialism, Social democracy Party of European Socialists
Agrarian Union "Aleksandar Stamboliyski" Spas Panchev Agrarianism
Communist Party of Bulgaria Aleksandar Paunov Marxism–Leninism
New Dawn Mincho Minchev Left-wing nationalism
Ecoglasnost Green politics, Environmentalism
Trakia
DPS Mustafa Karadaya Liberal democracy, Bulgarian Turk's minority rights and interests Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe
United Patriots National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria Valeri Simeonov Bulgarian nationalism, national conservatism, Euroscepticism, populism Movement for a Europe of Liberties and Democracy
Attack Volen Siderov Bulgarian nationalism, Euroscepticism, populism Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty
IMRO – Bulgarian National Movement Krasimir Karakachanov Bulgarian nationalism, national conservatism, populism European Conservatives and Reformists
Average European Class Georgi Manev Bulgarian nationalism, national conservatism, populism
Union of the Patriotic Forces "Defense" Nikolay Zahariev Bulgarian nationalism
Reformist Bloc Bulgarian Agrarian National Union Nikolay Nenchev Agrarianism
Bulgarian new democracy Borislav Velikov Liberalism
Bulgaria for Citizens Movement Meglena Kuneva Centrism
Union of Democratic Forces Bozhidar Lukarski Christian democracy, pro-Europeanism, conservatism European People's Party
People's Voice Svetoslav Vitkov Populism
Bulgarian Democratic Forum Zhaklin Toleva Democracy
Volya Veselin Mareshki Populism, Russophilia, Liberal democracy
ABV – Movement 21 Alternative for Bulgarian Revival Konstantin Prodanov Social democracy, Russophilia
Movement 21 Tatyana Doncheva
Movement "Yes, Bulgaria" Yes, Bulgaria! Hristo Ivanov Anti-Corruption
The Greens Zaritsa Georgieva, Vladislav Panev Green politics, Environmentalism European Green Party
DEOS Viktor Lilov Liberalism
Coalition of dissatisfied Bulgarian Social Democracy – EuroLeft Dimitar Mitev Social democracy
Christian Social Union Christian democracy
Party of the Greens Vladimir Nikolov Green politics, Environmentalism European Green Party
WHO – Bulgarian Left and Green Party Bulgarian Left Hristofor Dochev, Margarita Mileva, Ivan Genov Democratic socialism Party of the European Left
WHO – Competence, Responsibility and Truth
Green Party of Bulgaria Green politics, Environmentalism European Green Party
New Republic Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria Radan Kanev National conservatism, pro-Europeanism European People's Party
Union for Plovdiv
Bulgarian democratic community
Bulgarian democratic center Krasimira Kovachka, Stefan Kenov Conservatism
Movement for Radical Change "Bulgarian Spring" Velizar Enchev Left-wing nationalism
Bulgarian National Association Georgi Georgiev
Revival Kostadin Kostadinov Bulgarian nationalism
National Republican Party Mladen Mladenov
Movement for an Equal Public Model Iliya Iliev Rights and interests of Gypsies
Movement Forward Bulgaria Zornitsa Todorova
Association DOST Democrats for Responsibility, Solidarity and Tolerance (DOST) Lyutvi Mestan Turkish minority rights and interests, Good relations with Turkey
People's Party "Freedom and Dignity" Orhan Ismailov Liberalism

Opinion polls

Percentages do not account for undecided voters. 'Date' column signifies the last date of the survey in question, not the date of publication.

Source Date Sample size Margin of error GERB BSP DPS United Patriots RB Volya Yes, Bulgaria! ABV Others / None Lead
2014 election 5 October 2014 32.7% 15.4% 14.8% 11.8% 8.9% – – 4.2% 12.2%
Trend 17 January 2017 1,002 ± 3.1% 32.2% 29.3% 7.8% 10.4% 3.7% 5.9% 0.7% 1.0% 9.0% 2.9%
Alpha Research 22 January 2017 1,024 ± 3.0% 32.6% 28.8% 7.8% 10.7% 3.8% 4.4% 2.3% 1.4% 8.2% 3.8%
Estat 22 January 2017 1,000 ± 3.1% 36.1% 27.5% 6.0% 7.0% 2.4% 8.4% 0.9% 1.9% 9.8% 8.6%
Gallup 30 January 2017 816 ± 3.5% 27.6% 28.7% 8.2% 11.9% 4.3% 7.7% 2.0% 1.9% 7.7% 1.1%
CAM 7 February 2017 1,012 ± 3.1% 29.2% 28.1% 9.6% 7.5% 3.7% 5.2% 1.5% 0.9% 14.3% 1.1%
Trend 9 February 2017 1,002 ± 3.1% 29.7% 28.7% 9.0% 9.9% 3.4% 6.5% 2.3% 2.0% 8.5% 1.0%
Sova Haris 20 February 2017 1,003 ± 3.0% 31.3% 31.6% 6.4% 10.3% 6.3% 7.2% 0.5% 3.0% 3.4% 0.3%
Alpha Research 23 February 2017 1,024 ± 3.0% 31.5% 29.6% 6.8% 10.8% 3.9% 5.7% 2.6% 2.9% 6.2% 1.9%
AFIS 27 February 2017 1,200 ± 3.0% 28.2% 30.5% 6.7% 8.5% 4.5% 5.1% 1.3% 3.3% 12.0% 2.3%
Estat 28 February 2017 1,000 ± 3.1% 29.5% 30.2% 6.4% 8.6% 3.9% 11.8% 2.3% 1.5% 5.8% 0.7%
Gallup 5 March 2017 1,003 ± 3.1% 28.3% 30.2% 8.2% 11.9% 4.3% 7.4% 2.3% 2.6% 4.8% 1.9%
Institute of Modern Politics 6 March 2017 827 ± 3.1% 29.1% 29.0% 7.3% 9.5% 3.5% 5.8% 1.7% 4.1% 10.0% 0.1%
Gallup 15 March 2017 1,012 ± 3.0% 29.9% 30.3% 8.1% 11.5% 4.4% 6.5% 2.3% 2.4% 3.6% 0.4%
Estat 15 March 2017 1,000 ± 3.1% 29.7% 27.2% 8.3% 8.6% 6.1% 10.5% 1.3% 2.6% 5.7% 2.5%
AFIS 16 March 2017 1,010 ± 3.0% 31.2% 31.5% 8.5% 9.9% 4.4% 5.3% 1.1% 4.1% 4.1% 0.3%
Trend 16 March 2017 1,004 ± 3.1% 29.8% 27.9% 8.7% 10.2% 3.8% 7.3% 2.1% 2.6% 7.6% 1.9%
CAM 16 March 2017 1,012 ± 3.1% 29.6% 29.0% 10.8% 10.0% 3.5% 6.2% 1.9% 1.5% 7.5% 0.6%
Mediana 20 March 2017 1,010 ± 3.0% 26.6% 27.7% 11.1% 10.2% 5.1% 9.6% 1.1% 4.0% 4.6% 1.1%
Institute of Modern Politics 20 March 2017 805 ± 3.1% 28.5% 29.0% 9.1% 10.1% 4.0% 9.6% 2.0% 4.5% 3.2% 0.5%
Gallup 21 March 2017 1,012 ± 3.0% 27.1% 26.5% 9.7% 12.3% 3.8% 8.2% 2.4% 2.6% 7.4% 0.6%
Alpha Research 22 March 2017 1,033 ± 3.0% 31.7% 29.1% 8.4% 8.9% 4.0% 6.8% 2.5% 2.9% 5.7% 2.6%
Exacta 22 March 2017 1,000 ± 3.0% 31.2% 28.1% 7.6% 10.5% 4.0% 6.5% 1.5% 2.6% 8.0% 3.1%
^ Combined result of the Patriotic Front and Attack.

Results
Results of the election, showing vote strength by electoral district.

Five parties crossed the 4% threshold required to gain seats. GERB maintained their position as the largest party.

Party Votes % Swing Seats +/–
GERB1,147,29232.65–0.095+11
BSP for Bulgaria955,49027.19+11.880+41
United Patriots318,5139.07+4.327–3
Movement for Rights and Freedoms315,9768.99–5.926–12
Volya145,6374.15New12New
Reformist Bloc107,4073.06–5.80–23
Yes, Bulgaria!101,1772.88New0New
Association DOST100,4792.86New0New
New Republic86,9842.48New0New
ABV–Movement 2154,4121.55–2.60–11
Revival37,8961.08New0New
Party of the Greens10,1590.29–0.300
Bulgarian Spring9,2320.26New0New
Forward Bulgaria Movement6,6440.19New0New
Coalition of the Dissatisfied5,9450.17New0New
Movement for an Equal Public Model4,9890.14New0New
Bulgarian National Association3,9210.11New0New
Bulgarian Democratic Center3,1300.09New0New
WHO–BL–ZP2,9160.0800
National Republican Party2,3250.07New0New
Independents5,1160.1500
None of the above87,8502.50–––
Invalid/blank votes169,009––––
Total3,682,499100–2400
Registered voters/turnout6,838,23553.85+2.80––
Source: CIK

Aftermath and government formation

Boyko Borisov appeared set to resume his tenure as Prime Minister, possibly with a coalition with the United Patriots,[15] and ultimately formed the Third Borisov Government with the United Patriots.

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References
  1. Bulgaria Heads for Early Elections Balkan Insight, 20 December 2016
  2. Bulgaria Sliding Toward Caretaker Govt, But with Same Parliament Novinite, 13 November 2016
  3. Bulgarian PM Borisov resigns, snap parliamentary polls likely Reuters, 14 November 2016
  4. "Election Campaign Starts in Bulgaria". novinite.com. Novinite JSC. 24 February 2017. Retrieved 24 February 2017.
  5. Hope, Kerin; Troev, Theodor (27 March 2017). "Former PM Borisov claims victory in Bulgarian election". Financial Times. Retrieved 28 March 2017.(subscription required)
  6. "Резултати за президент и вицепрезидент на републиката-I Тур". cik.bg. Central Electoral Commission. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  7. "Резултати за президент и вицепрезидент на републиката-II Тур". cik.bg. Central Electoral Commission. Retrieved 30 January 2017.
  8. Bulgarian PM Borisov tenders his government resignation Reuters, 14 November 2016
  9. "Bulgarian MPs Accept PM Borisov's Resignation". Novinite.com. Sofia News Agency. 16 November 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  10. Bulgaria IFES
  11. Central Electoral Commission – Decision #4400 – March 4, 2017
  12. "Bulgaria's Early Election: Parties' Registration Deadline Expires". novinite.com. Sofia News Agency. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
  13. "Reload Bulgaria Party Not to Participate in March 26 Elections". bta.bg. 21 February 2017. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
  14. https://www.cik.bg/bg/ns2017/registers/parties
  15. Georgiev, Ognyan (27 March 2017). "Bulgaria's Borisov is Back — But Coalition May be Shaky". Politico. Retrieved 27 March 2017.
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