The 2024 European Parliament election in Bulgaria was held on 9 June 2024 as part of the 2024 European Parliament election. This was the country’s fifth parliamentary election since its accession to the EU in 2007, and the first to take place after Brexit. Bulgaria also held a separate national parliamentary election that day.
Electoral system The 17 members are elected through a system of semi-open lists and proportional representation in a single nationwide constituency with seats allocated through largest remainder method. The threshold is the number of valid votes divided by the number of members of the European parliament from Bulgaria, which is roughly 5.9%.
All people who have Bulgarian citizenship and a main residence in Bulgarian, Bulgarian citizens without residence in Bulgaria (Bulgarians abroad) and other Union citizens if their main residence is in Bulgaria are entitled to vote in the European elections in Bulgaria. In addition, those eligible to vote must turn 18 years old by election day at the latest and be registered in the voter register/European voter register of a local Bulgarian administration on the deadline date. Voting is compulsory for Bulgarian citizens but the obligation is not enforced and no penalties are envisaged for those who don't vote.
Outgoing delegation
The table shows the detailed composition of the Bulgarian seats at the European Parliament as of 24 January 2024. EP GroupSeatsPartySeatsMEPsEuropean People's PartyCitizens for European Development of Bulgaria 5 Union of Democratic Forces 1 Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria1 Progressive Alliance of Socialists and DemocratsBulgarian Socialist Party5 Renew EuropeMovement for Rights and Freedoms3 European Conservatives and ReformistsVMRO – Bulgarian National Movement2 Total17 Source: European Parliament
MEPs not standing for re-election NamePartyDate announcedSourcePetar VitanovPES-affiliated independent politician (ex BSP member)24 April 2024Ivo HristovBSP29 April 2024Sergey StanishevBSP30 April 2024Aleksandar YordanovSDS7 May 2024Atidzhe Alieva-VeliDPS7 May 2024
Running parties Contesting parties and coalitions Below is the official list of parties and coalitions that registered lists for the European Parliamentary elections. Party or coalition Ideology Lead Candidate 2019 result Votes (%) Seats 1 There is Such a People Right-wing populism Ivaylo Vulchev Did not exist 2 Peoples Voice Right-wing populism Svetoslav Vitkov 0.31% 3 Blue Bulgaria National Movement for Stability and Progress Liberalism Tsveta Kirilova 1.09% Conservative Union of the Right National conservatismAnti-communism DNP National conservatismAnti-communism Movement for Democratic Action-DZ Liberal conservatism Bulgaria for Citizens Movement Liberalism Conservative Bulgaria National conservatism 1.15% Radical-Democratic Party Social conservatismAnti-communism Rise Bulgarian New Democracy Liberal conservatism DNP Agrarian People's Union AgrarianismConservatism 4 We Citizens Left-wing nationalism DNP Bulgarian Workers-Peasant Party Marxism-Leninism Populism Euroscepticism UltranationalismHard Euroscepticism5Independent candidateKuzman Iliev DNP 6 Bulgarian Voice Bulgarian Voice Bulgarian nationalism Georgi Popov Did not exist Alternative for Bulgaria National conservatism 7 Bulgarian Social Democracy-EuroLeft Social Democracy Aleksandr Tomov DNP Social democracyLabourism Patriotism 2000 8 Center Bulgarian nationalism Vasil Bozhkov DNP Bulgarian Agrarian Party Agrarianism National Movement "Center" Anti-corruptionPopulism Did not exist 9 Solidary Bulgaria Bulgarian Left Democratic socialismVanya Grigorova DNP Social democracy Stand Up.BG Social democracyLeft-wing populism Did not exist Solidarity Bulgaria LabourismSocial democracy 0.48% 10 Unification CentrismLiberalism Yani Andreev Did not exist 11 Bulgarian National Unification Bulgarian nationalismNational conservatism Dimitar Bunov 0.12% 12 Revival Ultra-nationalismSocial conservatism Stanislav Stoyanov 1.04% 13 Morality, Unity, Honour Anti-corruptionSocial conservatism Radostin Vasilev Did not exist 14 PP–DB We Continue the Change LiberalismAnti-corruptionNikola Minchev Did not exist Volt Bulgaria European federalismPro-Europeanism 0.18% Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria ConservatismAnti-communism 6.06% Yes, Bulgaria!LiberalismAnti-corruption 15 Anti-vaccinationConspiracy theory support Did not exist 16 Bulgarian Rise National conservatism Did not exist 17 Citizens Block Bulgarian Democratic Union-Radicals Bulgarian nationalismIvan Geshev DNP Party of Bulgarian Women Women's issues Citizens Block Anti-corruptionSocial conservatism Did not exist 18 Social conservatism DNP 19 The Left! Alternative for Bulgarian Revival Social democracy Moderate social conservatism 0.86% ex-BSP faction Social democracy BSP Movement 21Social democracy 0.21% Agrarian Union "Aleksandar Stamboliyski" Agrarianism DNP Green Party of Bulgaria Green politics Political Movement "Social Democrats" Social democracy National Movement for the Salvation of the Fatherland Left-wing nationalism 20 Green politicsLeft-wing nationalism Todor Angelov 0.30% 21 We Are Coming Anti-corruptionLiberalism Nikolay Hadjigenov Rise 22 GERB—SDS GERB Social conservatismPro-Europeanism Rosen Zhelyazkov 30.13% SDS Christian DemocracyAnti-communism George's Day Movement National conservatismBulgarian nationalism 23 Bulgarian National Union UltranationalismNeo-nazism DNP 24 BSP for Bulgaria BSP Social conservatismSocial democracyKristian Vigenin23.53% Ecoglasnost Green politicsEnvironmentalism Left wing nationalism 25 Velichie Bulgarian nationalismAnti-corruption Nikolay Markov Did not exist 26 VMRO National conservatismBulgarian nationalism Angel Dzhambazki7.14% 27 Bulgarian nationalismDirect democracy 0.12% 28 Movement for Rights and Freedoms Turkish minority interestsLiberalism Dzhevdet Chakarov 16.05% 29 Green Movement Green liberalismGreen politics Borislav Sandov Democratic Bulgaria 30 For a Great Bulgaria Bulgarian nationalism Did not exist 31 Direct democracy Daniel Bozhilov DNP
Campaign
PP–DB
PP On 24 January, after internal discussions, PP announced that their lead candidate for the EP elections would be the former Speaker of the 47th National Assembly and current MP, Nikola Minchev.
On 18 March, the PP Executive Committee approved a shortlist of 15 candidates, including Daniel Lorer, Yavor Bozhankov, Hristo Petrov (known more commonly by his rapper name Itso Hazarta), Nastimir Ananiev, Iskren Mitev, Hristo Daskalov and Denitsa Simeonova, some of which will end up in the common PP–DB list.
Following the Congress, PP confirmed their intention to participate in the upcoming election in a joint list with Democratic Bulgaria and presented a list of nominees for the list, which included the figures previously presented by the Executive Committee as well as MPs Iva Ruycheva and Miroslav Mavrov.
Yes, Bulgaria! On 19 February, Yes, Bulgaria!, a member of DB, confirmed that the party would nominate candidates for the European Election list through internal elections.
On the 7 April, "Yes, Bulgaria!" officially set the date for their internal elections between the 16 and 18 of April, with a list of nominees for the position similarly being published. The party also confirmed their intention to participate in the EU elections together with PP.
On the 19 April, the party announced that former Bulgarian Ambassador to the United Nations Stefan Tafrov, an MEP candidate in the previous European elections, had won their internal primary.
DSB
The DSB, the other member of DB, is the only constituent party within PP–DB which has an MEP within the outgoing European Parliament, that being Radan Kanev.
On 17 January, Kanev confirmed that he would not be interested in becoming the list leader for a joint PP–DB list, although he did confirm his intention to participate in the upcoming EU elections and stated that he had already been nominated as the lead candidate from DSB.
Revival Revival announced their list for the European Elections on the 16 of April, with the list being led by current MP Stanislav Stoyanov. Notably, the second position on the list was held by Petar Volgin, a journalist known for his pro-Russian stances.
DPS DPS announced their list for the European Elections on the 6 May, being led by the co-leader of the party, Dzhevdet Chakarov, and including incumbent BSP MEP, Elena Yoncheva.
BSP
The Bulgarian Socialist Party announced their list for the European Parliamentary Elections on the 27th of April, being headed by current MP, former MEP and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Kristian Vigenin. Due to disagreements with party leader Korneliya Ninova, none of the party’s current MEPs, with the exception of Tsvetelina Penkova, ended up in the party’s list.
Other parties and independents Other parties On the 16 April, VMRO leader, Krasimir Karakachanov, confirmed the party, which currently has two MEPs in the outgoing European Parliament, intended to contest the upcoming European Elections alone. The VMRO list was to be headed by current MEP, Angel Dzhambazki.
Green Movement, a former member of the PP–DB coalition, similarly announced their intention to participate in the twin European-National elections independently.
Solidary Bulgaria, a new electoral alliance between former Sofia mayoral candidate Vanya Grigorova and IS.BG leader Maya Manolova, will contest the European elections.
Independent candidates Kuzman Iliev, Bulgarian economist and head of the civic organisation "Bulgaria Can", announced his intention to run as an independent on the 14 April 2024.
Opinion polling Polling firmFieldwork dateSampleGERB—SDSBSPzBDPSVMROPP–DBRevivalITNBlue BulgariaOthersNOTALeadAlpha Research1-4 June 20241000257.914.1—15.915.75.92.912.6—9.1CAM1-4 June 202482126.28.114.1—17.714.85.32.1——8.5Sova Haris29 May-3 June 2024100026.48.914.4—15.415.35.6—14—11Market Links22 May-2 June 2024100428.88.712.4—20.211.43.92.27.42.18.6TREND11–18 May 2024100325.98.114.61.216.115.15.51.812.45.39.8Sova Harris8–13 May 2024100028.310.313.3—15.8155.2—11.5—12.5MarketLinks29 April–9 May 2024—29.49.313.1—20.612.32.71.76.44.28.8Alpha Research28 April–5 May 2024100025.18.014.4—18.514.84.82.412.0—6.6Gallup22 April–2 May 202480826.48.214.91.317.514.74.51.411.1—8.9TREND12–19 April 2024100227.29.415.4—17.215.35.1—10.1—10.1Gallup28 March-5 April 202480528.710.115.3—18.215.15.5—9.8—6.2IPSOSN/AN/A27.18.813.0—20.915.16.1—8.9—6.2Alpha Research1-7 March 2024100027.010.610.0—23.815.85.9—6.9—3.2Market Links24 February-3 March 2024105826.49.714.0—22.713.53.8—6.13.93.72019 election26 May 201930.423.516.17.15.91.0——2.64.16.9
Results
Parliamentary groups Parliamentary GroupSeats
See also June 2024 Bulgarian parliamentary election Bulgaria (European Parliament constituency)
Notes
References