Bulgaria votes today

Parliamentary elections are held today, fourth in less than two years.

According to the results of public opinion poll agencies, the centre-right Bulgarian Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria (GERB) party has increased the advantage over its main rival, the reformist party We continue changing (PP).

The elections are expected to lead to an eight-party split parliament, according to public opinion polls conducted by Alpha Research, Trend and Gallup International.

No party will have the majority, which means there will be difficult negotiations for forming a ruling coalition, according to polls.

GERB, the party of former longtime Prime Minister Boyko Borisov, whose rule ended in April 2021 amid public discontent, has support between 25 and 26 per cent, down from 22.7 per cent in the last November elections.

Party support PP, led by Kiril Petkov, whose reformist government collapsed in June after just six months, has dropped to about 16.5 percent from 25.7 percent when it won the last early elections.

Petkov took a strong stand against Moscow for its attack on Ukraine.

Gallup International and Alpha Research predict that the ethnic Turkish Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) will take third place by 12 to 13 per cent, ahead of the ultra-nationalist and pro-Russian Renaissance party, which is forecast at 11 per cent to 13 per cent.

Petkov's future allies -- the left-wing Bulgarian Socialist Party and right-wing Democratic Bulgaria -- have support of about 9 per cent to 10 per cent and 7.6 per cent to 8.4 per cent, respectively, according to polls ahead of the elections.

Two other conservative parties -- the conservative Bulgarian foundation party and populist party Ima Takav (ITN) -- are likely to pass the four per cent threshold of votes won to enter parliament, as a low turnout is expected, according to polls.