Bulgaria's April 2026 election: results, seats and how Radev became PM
Final results of Bulgaria's 19 April 2026 snap election: Progressive Bulgaria won 131 of 240 seats, five parties got in, and Radev became PM on 8 May.
Looking for the presidential election? This page covers the parliamentary election of 19 April 2026. The presidential vote is separate: see the first round of 25 October and the 1 November runoff.
Rumen Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria won Bulgaria’s snap parliamentary election on 19 April 2026 with 44.594% of the vote and 131 of 240 seats, according to final Central Election Commission (CEC) results reported by Novinite on 24 April. That is above the 121 seats needed for a majority, so the party governs alone. Parliament elected Radev prime minister on 8 May 2026, BTA reported.
How many seats does each party have?
Five formations cleared the 4% threshold, the CEC said, according to Novinite (figures as of 24 April 2026):
| Party | Votes | Share | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|
| Progressive Bulgaria | 1,444,920 | 44.59% | 131 |
| GERB–SDS | 433,755 | 13.39% | 39 |
| PP–DB | 408,846 | 12.62% | 37 |
| DPS | 230,693 | 7.12% | 21 |
| Vazrazhdane (Revival) | 137,940 | 4.26% | 12 |
The 44.59% for Progressive Bulgaria is the CEC figure; the other shares are Varna Pulse calculations from the CEC vote totals on the same basis. Wikipedia’s table gives slightly lower numbers (43.91% for Progressive Bulgaria), apparently because it also counts the 50,733 “I do not support anyone” votes in the total. Euronews reported that this is the first outright majority for one party in Bulgaria since 1997. According to Al Jazeera, it was the country’s eighth parliamentary vote in five years — see why Bulgaria has so many elections.
What was the turnout?
According to the CEC, as reported by Novinite, turnout was 51.11%: 3,360,330 of 6,627,747 registered voters. Wikipedia lists 50.70%, and this page uses the CEC figure.
Which parties failed to enter parliament?
All other parties stayed below 4%. According to the final tally in Wikipedia, which is based on CEC data, the BSP–United Left got 97,753 votes (about 3%). MECh, Velichie and There Is Such a People did not get in either.
How did Radev become prime minister?
On 8 May 2026 the National Assembly elected Radev with 124 votes for, 70 against and 36 abstentions, BTA reported. Progressive Bulgaria voted for. DPS, Democratic Bulgaria, We Continue the Change and Vazrazhdane voted against, and GERB–SDS abstained. The cabinet was approved 122–70 with 36 abstentions. It has four deputy prime ministers and 18 ministers. They include Galab Donev (Deputy PM and Finance), Alexander Pulev (Deputy PM and Economy), Ivo Hristov and Atanas Pekanov (Deputy PMs), Ivan Demerdzhiev (Interior), Dimitar Stoyanov (Defence) and Velislava Petrova-Chamova (Foreign Affairs), according to BTA.
How did the other parties react?
On election night GERB leader Boyko Borissov congratulated Radev but said that “winning elections is one thing, governing is another,” Al Jazeera reported. In a Facebook post quoted by BTA he wrote that elections decide who comes first, but negotiations decide who governs. In the 8 May debate, Democratic Bulgaria’s Bozhidar Bozhanov said his group was “obliged to wish the government success” but doubted it would deliver, Sofia Globe reported.
What it means for Varna
The new majority makes national decisions that matter in Varna, such as the 2027 budget and taxes. Who stands for what is in our guide to Bulgaria’s political parties and Bulgarian politics explained. Varna Pulse reports official results and does not take sides.
Sources
Frequently asked questions
Who won the April 2026 election in Bulgaria?
Rumen Radev's Progressive Bulgaria, with 1,444,920 votes (44.594%) and 131 of 240 seats, according to the final CEC results reported by Novinite.
What was the turnout?
The CEC reported 51.11% (3,360,330 voters out of 6,627,747), according to Novinite. Wikipedia lists 50.70%.
Which parties failed to enter parliament?
All parties except the five that won seats, including the BSP–United Left, which got 97,753 votes (about 3%), below the 4% threshold.
When was Radev elected prime minister?
On 8 May 2026, by 124 votes to 70 with 36 abstentions, BTA reported. His cabinet was approved the same day.
Is this the same as the presidential election?
No. The April vote elected parliament. The presidential election is separate; its first round was on 25 October and the runoff is on 1 November 2026.
