Bulgarian Parliamentary Election Exit Polls: Pro-Russian Former President Holds Commanding Lead
Exit polls from Bulgaria's parliamentary elections indicate that the progressive party led by pro-Russian former President Rumen Radev has secured a significant lead, though a coalition will be needed to form a government.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 20, 2026 at 04:09
- 🔍 Collected: April 20, 2026 at 04:31 (21 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 20, 2026 at 04:59 (28 min after Collected)
Central News Agency
(CNA, Sofia, 19th - Comprehensive Foreign Dispatch) According to exit polls, the party led by Bulgaria's pro-Russian former President Rumen Radev is poised to win today's parliamentary election easily. However, Radev, who campaigned heavily on anti-corruption and ending the vicious cycle of short-lived governments, will still need to seek alliance partners to form a majority government.
Reuters reports that Radev, a Eurosceptic former fighter pilot, opposes military aid to Ukraine in its war against Russia. After massive protests forced the previous government to collapse last December, he resigned from the presidency in January this year to run in this election.
This is the 8th election held in 5 years in this Balkan nation of about 6.5 million people. It is widely believed that a small group of corrupt veteran politicians has long dominated the political arena; although voters are fatigued, no single party has been able to gain enough support to control the political situation.
The final exit poll results from Alpha Research, a polling institute based in the capital Sofia, show that Radev's "Progressive Bulgaria" garnered 38.1% of the vote, holding a commanding lead over the runner-up, former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov's "Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria" (GERB), which received 15.9%.
Various exit polls show slight differences in data, but all indicate Radev has a substantial lead. If these results are ultimately confirmed, it will be one of the best performances by a single party in many years.
Radev gave a brief statement to reporters after the exit polls were released: "We will do everything in our power to ensure we do not go into elections again. That would be disastrous for Bulgaria."
He indicated a willingness to cooperate on judicial reform with the reformist "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria" (PP-DB) coalition, which placed third in the exit polls with 14.1%, but he also does not rule out the possibility of forming a minority government.
He said, "We are ready to consider different options to give Bulgaria a stable, normal government."
The final election results are expected to be officially announced tomorrow. (Translation: He Hongru) 1150420
Choose to stand with facts; every sponsorship from you is a force that guards press freedom.
Download the CNA "First-hand News" APP to grasp the latest news instantly.
The text, images, and audio/video on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.
(CNA, Sofia, 19th - Comprehensive Foreign Dispatch) According to exit polls, the party led by Bulgaria's pro-Russian former President Rumen Radev is poised to win today's parliamentary election easily. However, Radev, who campaigned heavily on anti-corruption and ending the vicious cycle of short-lived governments, will still need to seek alliance partners to form a majority government.
Reuters reports that Radev, a Eurosceptic former fighter pilot, opposes military aid to Ukraine in its war against Russia. After massive protests forced the previous government to collapse last December, he resigned from the presidency in January this year to run in this election.
This is the 8th election held in 5 years in this Balkan nation of about 6.5 million people. It is widely believed that a small group of corrupt veteran politicians has long dominated the political arena; although voters are fatigued, no single party has been able to gain enough support to control the political situation.
The final exit poll results from Alpha Research, a polling institute based in the capital Sofia, show that Radev's "Progressive Bulgaria" garnered 38.1% of the vote, holding a commanding lead over the runner-up, former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov's "Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria" (GERB), which received 15.9%.
Various exit polls show slight differences in data, but all indicate Radev has a substantial lead. If these results are ultimately confirmed, it will be one of the best performances by a single party in many years.
Radev gave a brief statement to reporters after the exit polls were released: "We will do everything in our power to ensure we do not go into elections again. That would be disastrous for Bulgaria."
He indicated a willingness to cooperate on judicial reform with the reformist "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria" (PP-DB) coalition, which placed third in the exit polls with 14.1%, but he also does not rule out the possibility of forming a minority government.
He said, "We are ready to consider different options to give Bulgaria a stable, normal government."
The final election results are expected to be officially announced tomorrow. (Translation: He Hongru) 1150420
Choose to stand with facts; every sponsorship from you is a force that guards press freedom.
Download the CNA "First-hand News" APP to grasp the latest news instantly.
The text, images, and audio/video on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.