The new anti-corruption party We Will Continue Change (PP) appears to have surprised Sunday’s parliamentary elections in Bulgaria, with polls so far giving the party about 26 percent of the vote.
With this result, she will end up ahead of former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov’s conservative GERB party. According to polling stations, she will fail with 23% of the vote. The first official results are not expected until Monday morning.
“Bulgaria is choosing a new path,” said Kirill Petkov, co-chair of PP. He wants to build a coalition without the Borisov party or the DPS, the party that defends the Turkish minority in Bulgaria. Petkov actually served as economy minister in a transitional government from May to September. He sees fighting corruption and reforming the justice system as his main goals.
Third time at the polls
Bulgarians could already go to the polls for the third time this year on Sunday to form parliament. After the April and July elections, it proved impossible to form a majority government. Many Bulgarians did not vote this time. Turnout is estimated at 40 percent. The Electoral Commission spoke of a record low.
At the same time, there was also the first round of the presidential election. As expected, this led to the victory of outgoing President Rumen Radev. However, he will not manage to get an absolute majority behind him, which means that the second round should take place in a week.
The president in Bulgaria previously had a ceremonial role as head of state and commander-in-chief of the army.
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