Early parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria on 2 October 2022 to elect members of the 48th National Assembly. The snap election was called after the fall of the Petkov Government, a four-party coalition, in June 2022. This was the fourth parliamentary election since 2021, an unprecedented situation in Bulgarian history, the previous elections being the April, July, and November 2021 elections.

As in the previous snap elections, no party secured a majority. The GERB–SDS alliance emerged as the largest bloc with 67 seats and was assigned the task of forming a government by President Rumen Radev, but their efforts failed. Radev then granted the We Continue the Change party and later the BSP for Bulgaria coalition a mandate to form a government, but both were unsuccessful. As a result, Radev scheduled another parliamentary election, the fifth in two years, to take place on 2 April 2023. Turnout was at 39%, the lowest since 1990.

Background

The 2021 Bulgarian general election in November saw We Continue the Change (PP) achieve a surprise victory, receiving 25% of the vote. Led by Kiril Petkov and Assen Vassilev, the PP formed a coalition government with BSP for Bulgaria (BSPzB), There Is Such a People (ITN) and Democratic Bulgaria (DB). This broke the deadlock that had arisen as a result of the previous two parliamentary elections, after which no party was able to form a government.

On 8 June 2022, ITN withdrew from the government, citing disagreements over the state budget, fiscal policy and the lifting of Bulgaria's veto on opening EU accession talks with North Macedonia. On 22 June, the government was defeated in a no confidence vote tabled by GERB and supported by DPS, ITN and Revival.

Electoral system The 240 members of the National Assembly are elected by open list proportional representation from 31 multi-member constituencies ranging in size from 4 to 16 seats. The electoral threshold is 4% for parties, with seats allocated according to the largest remainder method.

Political groups

The table below lists the political party groups represented in the 47th National Assembly. Name Ideology Position Leader(s) 2021 result Seats at dissolution PetkovGovernment Seats 13 December 2021 8 June 2022 PP We Continue the Change Social liberalismAnti-corruption Centre Kiril PetkovAssen Vassilev 25.3% colspan="2" GERB–SDS GERB-Union of Democratic Forces Conservatism Centre-right Boyko Borisov 22.4% colspan="2" DPS Movement for Rights and Freedoms Turkish minority interests Centre Mustafa Karadayi 12.8% colspan="2" BSPzB BSP for Bulgaria Social democracy Left-wing Korneliya Ninova 10.1% colspan="2" ITN There Is Such a People Populism Big tent Slavi Trifonov 9.4% DB Democratic BulgariaДемократична България Liberalism Centre to centre-right Hristo IvanovAtanas Atanasov 6.3% colspan="2" Revival RevivalВъзраждане Ultranationalism Far-right Kostadin Kostadinov 4.8% colspan="2" Independent IndependentIndependent Split support

Competing parties Name № Main ideology Leader(s) November 2021 result Votes(%) Seats DPS Movement for Rights and Freedoms 1 Turkish minority interestsSocial liberalism Mustafa Karadayi 12.83% BSDD 2 Direct democracy Georgi NedelchevSvetla Milusheva 0.22% BNO Bulgarian National Unification 3 Bulgarian nationalism Georgi Georgiev-Goti 0.09% NDE 4 Pro-Europeanism Nikola Ivanov New VMRO–BND VMRO – Bulgarian National Movement 5 Bulgarian nationalismNational conservatism Iskren VeselinovAngel DzhambazkiAlexander SidiYulian Angelov 1.07% OSD 6Social democracy Yordan Gergov DNP PDS Political Movement "Social Democrats"Social democracy Elena Noneva PP KOY Right-wing DNP PD 7 Direct democracy 0.05% NFSB National Front for the Salvation of Bulgaria 8 Bulgarian nationalismNational conservatism Valeri Simeonov 0.32% WeContinuetheChange PPWe Continue the Change 9Social liberalismAnti-corruption Kiril PetkovAssen Vassilev 25.32% Volt Volt BulgariaEuropean federalism Nastimir Ananiev SECMiddle European ClassEconomic liberalism Georgi Manev MIR Morality, Initiative and Patriotism 10 Conservatism Simeon Slavchev0.15% KOD Conservative Union of the Right 11 National conservatismRight-wing populism Petar Moskov0.42% BTR 12 Anti-AtlanticismEuroscepticism Georgi Manolov DNP KTB 13 Centre-right Krasimir Manov DNP Revival Revival 14 Bulgarian nationalismRight-wing populism Kostadin Kostadinov 4.80% BulgarianRise BV Bulgarian Rise 15National conservatismSouverainism Stefan Yanev New Svoboda Bulgarian nationalism Vladimir Simeonov DNP Zelenite Green politicsAnti-capitalism Vladimir Nikolov DNP ZNS Agrarian People's UnionAgrarianismConservatism Rumen Yonchev IBG-NI ABV Alternative for Bulgarian RevivalSocial democracySocial conservatism Vladimir Nikolov BSPzB SSD Union of Free DemocratsConservatism Radoslav Katsarov DNP BNS–ND Bulgarian National Union – New Democracy 16 UltranationalismAnti-immigration Boyan Rasate 0.04% IS.BG Stand Up, Bulgaria 17 Anti-corruptionDirect democracy Maya Manolova 2.26% DNK 18 Left-wing populismDirect democracy Boyko MladenovBoyko NikifirovMincho HristovOgnyan Boyukliev BSPzB ITN There Is Such a People 19 PopulismSocial conservatism Slavi Trifonov 9.39% GN People's Voice 20 EuroscepticismPopulism Svetoslav Vitkov 0.43% ENP United People's Party 21 LiberalismEconomic liberalism Valentina Vasileva IBG-NI Pravoto 22 Populism Maria Koleva 0.25% ISI 23 Anti-vaccinationBulgarian nationalism Ventsislav Angelov DNP GERB–SDS GERB GERB 24ConservatismPopulism Boyko Borisov 22.44% SDS Union of Democratic ForcesNational conservatismChristian democracy Rumen Hristov DemocraticBulgaria DBYes, Bulgaria! 25Liberalism Hristo Ivanov 6.28% DSBDemocrats for a Strong BulgariaConservatismConservative liberalism Atanas Atanasov ZD Green Movement Green politicsGreen liberalism Borislav SandovVladislav Panev BSDE Bulgarian Euro-Left 26 Social democracy Aleksandar Tomov 0.52% Ataka Attack 27 Bulgarian nationalismRight-wing populism Volen Siderov 0.46% BSP forBulgaria BSP Bulgarian Socialist Party 28Social democracyLeft-wing nationalism Korneliya Ninova 10.07% EG EcoglasnostGreen politicsEnvironmentalism Emil Georgiev TrakiyaBulgarian nationalismThracian Bulgarian interests Stefan Nachev RVO Russophiles for the Revival of the Fatherland 29 RussophiliaNational conservatism Nikolay Malinov 0.26%

Opinion polls Graphical representation of recalculated data

The opinion poll results below were recalculated from the original data and exclude polls that chose "I will not vote" or "I am uncertain" options. Polling firmFieldwork dateSample PP DB GERB–SDS DPS BSP ITN Revival IS.BG VMRO BVOthersNone of the aboveLead2022 election2 October 2022—19.57.2 24.513.39.03.79.81.00.84.53.43.45.0GallupExit poll —18.87.4 24.714.510.84.610.21.20.94.02.9 —5.9Alpha Research27–29 Sep 20221,02516.58.4 25.213.110.24.011.01.91.84.43.5 —8.7Trend21–27 Sep 20221,00116.47.6 25.711.98.74.213.92.01.24.44.0 —9.3Gallup20–27 Sep 20221,00916.67.8 25.813.29.24.212.81.91.24.03.3 —9.2Sova Harris22–26 Sep 20221,00019.05.7 27.512.512.14.69.52.91.14.20.9 —8.5Exacta20–25 Sep 20221,05016.88.0 26.412.610.84.510.5 — —4.25.60.69.6Market Links17–23 Sep 20221,02416.97.8 23.712.39.93.98.72.5 —2.511.8 —6.8Mediana16–22 Sep 20221,00816.35.9 26.311.513.14.712.03.0 —5.22.0 —10.0SINPI16–21 Sep 20221,10416.67.8 24.513.89.74.612.11.80.94.15.51.37.9Center for Analysis and Marketing15–19 Sep 20221,01118.28.1 24.812.811.23.810.5 — —3.3 — —6.6Estat10–17 Sep 20221,00516.86.9 26.110.39.34.210.11.914.85.23.49.3Exacta10–17 Sep 20221,05018.17.5 26.210.312.55.49.5 — —45.518.1Sova Harris6–12 Sep 202283518.85.7 28.88.712.75.110.42.91.24.80.9 —10.0Gallup2–10 Sep 20221,00219.27.6 25.911.59.84.311.31.71.54.23 —6.7Mediana29 Aug – 4 Sep 20221,00817.15.5 22.811.113.36.912.53.4 —5.51.9 —5.7Market Links 27 Aug – 3 Sep 20221,06717.88.1 22.910.910.93.87.6 — —4.713.5 —5.1Alpha Research27 Aug – 2 Sep 20221,11718.98.1 25.311.810.64.210.32.2 —4.54.1 —6.4Trend15–22 Aug 20221,00719.67.3 24.410.68.63.910.31.91.24.54.63.14.8Market Links 30 Jul – 5 Aug 20221,02026.222.612.411.63.28.9 — —3.311.8 —3.620.99.1 24.512.611.93.19.2 — —4.34.8 —3.6Trend5–12 Jul 20221,00521.46.9 23.610.79.83.89.61.61.15.72.83.02.2 Market Links2–10 Jul 20221,02421.58.3 22.29.111.63.27.6 — —4.312.2 —0.7 Alpha Research25 Jun – 1 Jul 20221,01722.57.9 23.99.812.83.78.8 — —6.04.7 —1.4June–July 2022 ITN pulls out of the Petkov cabinet and the government is defeated in a vote of no confidenceTrend4–11 May 20221,00217.56.8 23.810.99.55.810.12.01.57.62.22.36.3Centre for Analysis and Marketing4–9 May 202282121.46.0 23.311.611.85.18.71.21.07.82.1–1.9Market Links29 Apr – 8 May 2022 1,01519.18.3 25.910.512.56.59.7–––7.2–6.8Gallup29 Apr – 6 May 202280518.25.5 24.911.19.75.410.51.11.55.66.5–6.7Alpha Research8–14 Apr 20221,03721.17.7 24.88.711.75.110.8–––10.2–3.7Trend6–13 Apr 20221,00420.17.1 23.611.110.56.99.31.91.3–5.52.73.5Gallup31 Mar – 8 Apr 202280923.84.5 25.910.610.37.07.91.22.1–5.61.12.1Market Links22–29 Mar 20221,02919.77.6 22.18.211.66.78.2–––15.9–2.4Trend5–12 Mar 20221,00722.97.421.911.410.47.57.32.11.3–5.02.81.0Alpha Research6–14 Feb 20221,06029.97.822.28.812.08.16.4 – – –4.9 —7.7Gallup3–11 Feb 202280330.25.221.912.28.59.43.91.51.7–5.4 —8.3Trend12–19 Jan 20221,00426.46.822.310.911.58.15.91.91.1–2.72.44.1November 2021 election14 November 2021—25.76.422.713.010.29.54.92.31.1–4.21.32.8

Results

Voter demographics Alpha Research exit polling suggested the following demographic breakdown. The parties that got below 4% of the vote are included in "Others".

Voter demographics Social group % GERB % PP % DPS % Revival % BSP % DB % BV % ITN % Others % Lead Exit poll result 25 20 14 10 10 8 4 4 5 5 Final result 25.3 20.2 13.8 10.1 9.3 7.5 4.6 3.8 5.4 5.1 Gender Men 24 18 16 12 9 7 4 4 6 6 Women 28 23 10 7 11 9 3 3 6 5 Age 18–30 18 28 15 10 5 10 2 6 6 10 30-60 28 19 13 11 7 9 4 4 5 9 60+ 27 16 10 7 26 5 4 2 3 1 Highest Level of Education Lower education 16 7 50 6 9 1 2 2 7 34 Secondary education 30 17 14 10 13 5 4 3 4 13 Higher education 24 27 3 10 9 13 3 3 6 3 Ethnic Group Bulgarian 27 25 1 11 12 10 5 4 5 2 Turkish 10 5 77 2 0 1 1 0 5 67 Roma 20 8 41 9 6 4 1 5 7 21 Location Towns and villages 23 12 38 5 13 1 3 2 3 15 Smaller cities 28 21 8 12 14 6 3 4 4 7 Larger cities 28 26 4 11 10 8 5 4 4 2 Sofia 24 28 1 9 8 17 4 3 6 4

By constituency