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.Bulgaria Heads for Early Elections Balkan Insight, 20 December 2016 Borisov resigned following the defeat of Tsetska Tsacheva, the candidate of his GERB party, in the November 2016 presidential elections.Bulgaria Sliding Toward Caretaker Govt, But with Same Parliament Novinite, 13 November 2016Bulgarian PM Borisov resigns, snap parliamentary polls likely Reuters, 14 November 2016 The official election campaign began on 24 February. GERB won a plurality, with 95 of the 240 seats. Borisov was elected prime minister again after negotiating a governing coalition.

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%. 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%. Borisov, staying true to his campaign promise, subsequently resigned on 14 November.Bulgarian PM Borisov tenders his government resignation Reuters, 14 November 2016 Two days later, the National Assembly voted 218–0 to accept it.

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%.Bulgaria IFES 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).Central Electoral Commission – Decision #4400 – March 4, 2017

Participating parties The deadline for political parties to register for the election was 8 February 2017. 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. The list of registered parties is below.

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 ultranationalism, national conservatism, Euroscepticism Movement for a Europe of Liberties and Democracy Attack Volen Siderov Bulgarian nationalism, Euroscepticism Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty IMRO – Bulgarian National Movement Krasimir Karakachanov Bulgarian ultranationalism, national conservatism European Conservatives and Reformists Average European Class Georgi Manev Economic liberalism, Pro-Europeanism, 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 Nationalism Volya Veselin Mareshki Populism, Russophilia, Liberal democracy ABV – Movement 21 Alternative for Bulgarian Revival Konstantin Prodanov Social democracy, Russophilia Movement 21 Tatyana Doncheva Social democracy 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 liberalism, pro-Europeanism European People's Party Union for Plovdiv Bulgarian democratic community Gospodin Tonev Bulgarian democratic center Krasimira Kovachka, Stefan Kenov Conservatism Movement for Radical Change "Bulgarian Spring" Velizar Enchev Left-wing nationalism Bulgarian National Unification Georgi Georgiev Bulgarian nationalism 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 National Movement for Rights and Freedoms Guner Tahir Turkish minority rights and interests

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. SourceDateSample sizeMargin of errorGERBBSPDPSOPRBVolyaYes!ABVOthers / NoneLead2014 election5 October 201432.7%15.4%14.8%11.8%8.9% – –4.2%12.2%Trend17 January 20171,002± 3.1%32.2%29.3%7.8%10.4%3.7%5.9%0.7%1.0%9.0% 2.9%Alpha Research22 January 20171,024± 3.0%32.6%28.8%7.8%10.7%3.8%4.4%2.3%1.4%8.2%3.8%Estat22 January 20171,000± 3.1%36.1%27.5%6.0%7.0%2.4%8.4%0.9%1.9%9.8%8.6%Gallup30 January 2017816± 3.5%27.6%28.7%8.2%11.9%4.3%7.7%2.0%1.9%7.7%1.1%CAM7 February 20171,012± 3.1%29.2%28.1%9.6%7.5%3.7%5.2%1.5%0.9%14.3%1.1%Trend9 February 20171,002± 3.1%29.7%28.7%9.0%9.9%3.4%6.5%2.3%2.0%8.5%1.0%Sova Haris20 February 20171,003± 3.0%31.3%31.6%6.4%10.3%6.3%7.2%0.5%3.0%3.4%0.3%Alpha Research23 February 20171,024± 3.0%31.5%29.6%6.8%10.8%3.9%5.7%2.6%2.9%6.2%1.9%AFIS27 February 20171,200± 3.0%28.2%30.5%6.7%8.5%4.5%5.1%1.3%3.3%12.0%2.3%Estat28 February 20171,000± 3.1%29.5%30.2%6.4%8.6%3.9%11.8%2.3%1.5%5.8%0.7%Gallup5 March 20171,003± 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 Politics6 March 2017827± 3.1%29.1%29.0%7.3%9.5%3.5%5.8%1.7%4.1%10.0%0.1%Gallup15 March 20171,012± 3.0%29.9%30.3%8.1%11.5%4.4%6.5%2.3%2.4%3.6%0.4%Estat15 March 20171,000± 3.1%29.7%27.2%8.3%8.6%6.1%10.5%1.3%2.6%5.7%2.5%AFIS16 March 20171,010± 3.0%31.2%31.5%8.5%9.9%4.4%5.3%1.1%4.1%4.1%0.3%Trend16 March 20171,004± 3.1%29.8%27.9%8.7%10.2%3.8%7.3%2.1%2.6%7.6% 1.9%CAM16 March 20171,012± 3.1%29.6%29.0%10.8%10.0%3.5%6.2%1.9%1.5%7.5%0.6%Mediana20 March 20171,010± 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 Politics20 March 2017805± 3.1%28.5%29.0%9.1%10.1%4.0%9.6%2.0%4.5%3.2%0.5%Gallup21 March 20171,012± 3.0%27.1%26.5%9.7%12.3%3.8%8.2%2.4%2.6%7.4%0.6%Alpha Research22 March 20171,033± 3.0%31.7%29.1%8.4%8.9%4.0%6.8%2.5%2.9%5.7%2.6%Exacta22 March 20171,000± 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

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

Voter demographics Gallup exit polling suggested the following demographic breakdown.

Voter demographics Social group % GERB % BSP % OP % DPS % Volya % RB % Yes! % DOST % Others % Lead Exit poll result 33 28 10 9 4 3 3 3 7 5 Final result 32.7 27.2 9.1 9.0 4.2 3.1 2.9 2.8 8 5.5 Gender Men 31 25 10 9 5 4 3 3 9 6 Women 33 30 8 8 4 3 4 2 8 3 Age 18–30 32 14 7 11 5 5 8 4 13 18 30-60 34 23 10 9 6 5 4 2 7 11 60+ 26 44 9 6 3 1 1 2 8 18 Highest level of education Lower education 21 28 6 26 2 2 0 9 6 2 Secondary education 34 26 10 8 5 4 2 2 9 8 Higher education 32 28 8 3 4 6 7 0 11 4 Ethnic group Bulgarian 34 30 11 1 5 4 5 1 9 4 Turkish 14 8 0 53 2 0 1 19 3 34 Roma 28 21 2 23 1 7 0 9 9 5 Location Towns and villages 28 26 8 21 3 2 0 10 10 2 Smaller cities 29 32 11 8 5 4 2 4 5 3 Larger cities 35 27 9 3 6 5 4 0 11 8 Sofia 33 23 7 1 3 8 12 0 13 10 Vote in the second round of the 2016 presidential election Rumen Radev - 53,4% 9 48 11 10 4 3 2 2 11 37 Tsetska Tsacheva - 30,5% 75 2 4 3 4 4 2 2 4 71 No one/didn't vote - 16,1% 25 5 13 11 8 7 10 5 16 12

Aftermath and government formation Boyko Borisov appeared set to resume his tenure as prime minister, possibly with a coalition with the United Patriots, and ultimately formed the Third Borisov Government with the United Patriots.

References