Which Parties Will Not Make It Into the New Parliament Following the Elections?

Five parties from the 51st National Assembly will not enter the new Parliament, with some also losing access to state funding due to weak electoral results.

Two other parties that did pass the threshold will see a significant reduction in representation and will have fewer MPs in the new legislature.

Movement for Rights and Freedoms lost eight parliamentary seats compared with the 51st Parliament after ceding its traditional strongholds — Razgrad, Silistra, Targovishte and Shumen — to Progressive Bulgaria. The party retained a leading position only in Kardzhali.

On election night, MRF leader Delyan Peevski reacted in a Facebook post, saying elections had never been an end in themselves for the party, but only a step towards fulfilling its mission of serving people.

Peevski addressed MRF voters, saying they had withstood unprecedented pressure allegedly exerted by the Interior Ministry and the caretaker government as a whole.

“Progressive Bulgaria” Secures Outright Majority in Bulgaria's Next National Assembly

“Vazrazhdane” has lost as many as 21 parliamentary seats compared with the previous National Assembly.

In social media posts, party leader Kostadin Kostadinov thanked voters and said the party would continue its efforts to fight for a free and independent Bulgaria.

For the first time since the democratic changes, the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) — a party with a century-long history — will remain outside parliament.

It is joined in failing to pass the threshold by four other formations from the previous National Assembly: MECh, Velichie, Aalliance for Rights and Freedoms and There Is Such a People.

Surprisingly, the Socialists, who received around 3% of the vote, were narrowly overtaken by MECh led by Radostin Vasilev and Velichie led by Ivelin Mihaylov.

On election night, BSP leader Krum Zarkov was the first to speak publicly. He congratulated Rumen Radev’s party on its victory and, while initially appearing cautiously optimistic based on early results, ultimately accepted responsibility for the outcome.

Krum Zarkov, BSP leader:

“For BSP’s result, I, as its leader, take full and indivisible responsibility. We congratulate the party of Rumen Radev for its success. This gives him and his supporters the right and responsibility to begin work on forming a government. Bulgaria should finally have a stable, competent and, not least, honest government.”

New political formation “Siyanie”, led by Nikolay Popov, delivered a surprise result with 2.8% of the vote.

Although the party fell short of the parliamentary threshold, it managed to outperform the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (APS), associated with prominent transitional-era politician Ahmed Dogan, which received just over 1.5% of the vote.

Among the biggest losers in the election is “There Is Such a People” (ITN) led by Slavi Trifonov.

Once the surprise winners of the July 2021 elections, the party has now failed to secure even 1% of the vote.