Bulgarian parliamentary election, 2014

Bulgarian parliamentary election, 2014

5 October 2014

All 240 seats to the National Assembly 121 seats needed for a majority   First party Second party Third party   Leader Boyko Borisov Mihail Mikov Lyutvi Mestan Party GERB KB DPS Leader since 2006 2014 2013 Last election 97 seats, 30.5% 84 seats, 26.6% 36 seats, 11.3% Seats won 84 39 38 Seat change 13 45 2 Popular vote 32.7% 15.4% 14.8% Swing 2.2pp 11.2pp 3.5pp   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Radan Kanev Valeri Simeonov Nikolay Barekov Party RB PF BBT Leader since 2013 2014 2014 Last election 0 seats, 9.4%[lower-alpha 1] 0 seats, 5.7%[lower-alpha 1] N/A Seats won 23 19 15 Seat change 23 19 New Percentage 8.9% 7.3% 5.7% Swing 0.5pp 1.6pp New   Seventh party Eighth party   Leader Volen Siderov Georgi Parvanov Party ATAKA ABV Leader since 2005 2014 Last election 23 seats, 7.3% New Seats won 11 11 Seat change 12 New Percentage 4.5% 4.1% Swing 2.8pp New

Prime Minister before election Georgi Bliznashki Independent Elected Prime Minister Boyko Borisov GERB

Parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria on 5 October 2014 to elect the 43rd National Assembly.^[1] GERB remained the largest party, winning 84 of the 240 seats with around a third of the vote. A total of eight parties won seats, the first time since the beginning of democratic elections in 1990 that more than seven parties entered parliament.^[2] Boyko Borisov then became prime minister as head of a coalition with the Reformist Bloc and with outside support from the Patriotic Front and the Alternative for Bulgarian Revival.

Background

After the 2013 election, the seat distribution was such that the new coalition government, composed of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS) and led by Plamen Oresharski, had only half the seats in Parliament, and thus prospects of holding early elections were significant. Also, the Oresharski cabinet was confronted by a series of protests starting on 14 June 2013, in response to the election of Delyan Peevski as head of the Bulgarian state security agency DANS (State Agency for National Security).^[3][4][5]

Following the setback suffered by the BSP in the European Parliament election - having picked up 18.94% of the popular vote (down from 26.6% in 2013) - opposition parties called for early parliamentary elections. The leader of the DPS expressed his desire to have the government resign so that early elections can be scheduled for the end of 2014 or the middle of 2015.^[6]

On 10 June 2014 the leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party, Sergei Stanishev, demanded the resignation of the government: "We cannot have the responsibility for the existence and actions of this government solely by ourselves."^[7] Following an agreement from the three largest parties (GERB, BSP and DPS) to hold early parliamentary elections for 5 October 2014,^[8] the cabinet was to resign by the end of July.^[9]

On Wednesday July 23, Oresharski's government submitted its resignation.^[10] The next day parliament voted 180–8 (8 abstained and 44 were absent) to accept the government's resignation.^[11] After each party refused to try to form a new government, on 6 August a caretaker government led by Georgi Bliznashki was sworn into office and the 42nd National Assembly was dissolved with an election date set for 5 October.^[1]

Campaign

Twenty-two parties and seven coalitions registered to run on election day before the deadline. Two parties were denied registration.^[12]

The election campaign started on 5 September.^[13]

Opinion polls

Pre election campaign

Pre election campaign polls
Source	Date	GERB	BSP	DPS	Attack	RB	BBT	PF	ABV	Others	Total
Sova Haris	21 July 2013	16.9%	19.3%	7.8%	2.3%	3.9%	–	2.3%	–	1.8%	54.3%
Alpha Research	27 August 2013	15.6%	18.4%	5.8%	1.5%	7.6%	–	3.1%	–	21.6%	73.6%
Alpha Research	25 September 2013	15.6%	17.9%	5.8%	1.5%	7.6%	–	3.1%	–	21.6%	73.6%
Institute for Modern Politics	28 September 2013	16.6%	18.5%	5.8%	1.4%	5.6%	–	1.9%	–	16.5%	66.3%
AFIS	29 September 2013	19.9%	21.2%	6.5%	2.5%	3.3%		2.8%	–	7.8%	64.0%
Sova Haris	24 October 2013	19.5%	21.7%	5.3%	2.0%	3.8%	2.4%	1.9%	–	0.7%	57.3%
Alpha Research	31 October 2013	16.5%	16.9%	6.1%	3.0%	6.4%	–	2.6%	–	8.2%	59.7%
Institute for Modern Politics	10 November 2013	26.2%	26.2%	8.1%	1.3%	8.2%	6.1%	1.9%	–	–	78.0%
Mediana	18 November 2013	16.9%	22.8%	7.6%	2.8%	8.6%	4.3%	2.9%	–	2.9%	68.8%
Gallup	19 November 2013	18.1%	21.4%	5.9%	2.4%	6.7%	–	–	–	–	54.5%
Sova Haris	4 December 2013	16.3%	21.3%	5.5%	2.7%	4.3%	3.0%	1.3%	–	1.2%	55.6%
Alpha Research	8 December 2013	15.8%	16.5%	6.1%	2.7%	6.9%	–	3.5%	–	9.7%	61.2%
AFIS	12 December 2013	18%	22%	5%	2%	5%	3%	1%	–	10%	66%
Focus	13 December 2013	23.5%	22.3%	5.5%	2.7%	5.8%	3%	3%	–	–	65.8%
Institute for Modern Politics	17 December 2013	21.0%	21.2%	4.8%	1.9%	4.8%	5.0%	1.9%	–	–	60.6%
Gallup	18 December 2013	18.0%	22.8%	6.1%	1.8%	4.8%	2.1%	1.6%	–	3.5%	60.7%
Sova Haris	15 January 2014	18.4%	19.5%	6.8%	2.3%	4.2%	3.0%	1.5%	–	0.8%	56.5%
Gallup	16 January 2014	18.1%	21.6%	5.8%	1.5%	4.8%	2.5%	2.1%	–	3.5%	59.9%
Modern Institute for Politics	31 January 2014	19.8%	20.5%	4.3%	1.6%	4.5%	5.6%	1.5%	1.0%	4.0%	62.8%
Gallup	13 March 2014	19.9%	19.0%	6.0%	2.5%	3.6%	4.9%	1.8%	1.8%	–	59.6%
Sova Haris	25 March 2014	21.7%	22.3%	7.6%	2.3%	3.1%	7.0%	0.9%	2.6%	0.7%	68.2%
Sova Haris	28 April 2014	17.2%	19.8%	6.6%	2.2%	3.8%	6.0%	1.8%	2.4%	0.4%	60.2%
Center for Analysis and Marketing	30 April 2014	19.7%	16.0%	8.2%	–	4.8%	4.6%	–	–	–	53.3%
Focus	23 May 2014	24%	26%	12.5%	4.5%	5.5%	9.5%	4.5%	–	–	86.5%
Sova Haris	21 July 2014	23%	15.2%	8%	1.3%	4%	–	1%	2.7%	–	55.2%
Modern Institute for Politics	25 July 2014	27.2%	13.5%	7.3%	2.4%	4.5%	6.0%	2.4%	4.0%	4.9%	72.2%
Gallup	14 August 2014	23.4%	15.9%	7.8%	1.7%	4.2%	4.7%	3.1%	2.4%	2.9	66.1%
AFIS	24 August 2014	31.3%	22.7%	10.1%	3.2%	6.3%	4.5%	4.1%	4.9%	12.9%	100%
Sova Haris	30 August 2014	43.2%	31.4%	11%	–	7.1%	7.3%	–	–	–	100%
Mediana	1 September 2014	26.8%	17.5%	9.2%	3.7%	4.4%	4.7%	4.3%	3.3%	–	73.9%
Source	Date	GERB	BSP	DPS	Attack	RB	BBT	PF	ABV	Others	Total

Election campaign

Source	Date	GERB	BSP	DPS	Attack	RB	BBT	PF	ABV	Others	Total
Gallup	18 September 2014	35.9%	18.3%	14.2%	3.4%	5.6%	5.8%	4.9%	3.6%	8.3%	100.0%
Alpha Research	1 October 2014	34.1%	19.1%	15.4%	-	6%	6%	4.2%	-	-	84.8%

Results

Party	Votes	%	Seats	+/–
GERB	1,072,491	32.67	84	–13
BSP - Left Bulgaria	505,527	15.40	39	–45
Movement for Rights and Freedoms	487,134	14.84	38	+2
Reformist Bloc	291,806	8.89	23	+23
Patriotic Front	239,101	7.28	19	+19
Bulgaria without Censorship	186,938	5.69	15	New
Attack	148,262	4.52	11	–12
Alternative for Bulgarian Revival	136,223	4.15	11	New
Movement 21	39,221	1.20	0	New
People's Voice	37,335	1.14	0	0
The Greens	19,990	0.61	0	0
Republic BG	18,901	0.58	0	New
New Bulgaria	12,628	0.39	0	New
New Alternative	11 583	0.35	0	0
United Bulgaria	10,831	0.33	0	New
Bulgarian Social Democracy	9,431	0.29	0	New
National Movement for Stability and Progress	7,917	0.24	0	New
Party of the Greens	7,456	0.23	0	New
The Rights	7,234	0.22	0	New
Left and the Green Party	7,010	0.21	0	New
New Democracy	5,559	0.17	0	New
New Force	5,553	0.17	0	New
Social Democratic Party	5,398	0.16	0	0
Community for New Bulgaria	4,615	0.14	0	New
New Time	3,836	0.12	0	New
Invalid/blank votes	218,125	–	–	–
Total	3,501,269	100	240	0
Registered voters/turnout	6,858,304	51.05	–	–
Source: CIK

Reactions

Following his party's election victory, Borisov stated that his party would try to form the next government and that he "want[s] to govern, in person".^[14]

Government formation

The newly elected Assembly met for the first time on 27 October.^[15]

After being tasked by President Rosen Plevneliev to form a government, Borisov's GERB allied with the Reformist Bloc to form a government and also had the outside support of the Patriotic Front and the Alternative for Bulgarian Revival. The cabinet of twenty ministers was approved by a majority of 136-97 (with one abstention).^[16] Borisov was then chosen as prime minister by an even larger vote of 149-85.^[17]

Notes

1. Combined performance of the parties in the alliance in the previous elections.

References

1. "Bulgaria's 42nd Parliament Dissolved, Elections on October 5". Novinite.com. Sofia News Agency. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
2. Petrov, Angel. "Bulgaria's Grand Parliament Chessboard Might Be Both Ailment and Cure". Novinite.com. Sofia News Agency. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
3. Bulgarians protests over media magnate as security chief, Reuters, 14 June 2013
4. Thousands Rally in Bulgaria against Election of Shady Mogul for 'FBI' Head, Novinite, 14 June 2013
5. (Bulgarian) Protester says things could change for better (video), bgnes, 14 June 2013
6. "Bulgarian Co-ruling Party DPS Calls for Early Elections by end-2014". Novinite.com. Sofia News Agency. Retrieved 5 June 2014.
7. "BSP Leader Stanishev Demands Government Resignation, July Elections". Novinite.com. Sofia News Agency. Retrieved 10 June 2014.
8. "President Plevneliev Urges Outgoing Parliament to Review Budget". Novinite.com. Sofia News Agency. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
9. "Bulgarian Gov't to Resign between July 23, 25 - PM Oresharski". Novinite.com. Sofia News Agency. Retrieved 9 July 2014.
10. "Bulgaria's PM Plamen Oresharski Resigns". Novinite.com. Sofia News Agency. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
11. "Bulgarian Parliament Approves Government Resignation". Novinite.com. Sofia News Agency. Retrieved 25 July 2014.
12. "Seven Coalitions, 22 Parties to Run in Bulgaria's Early Elections". Novinite.com. Sofia News Agency. Retrieved 22 August 2014.
13. "Elections Campaign in Bulgaria To Start On Friday". Novinite.com. Sofia News Agency. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
14. Sturdee, Simon. "Deflated Bulgarian strongman vows to form government". news.yahoo.com. Yahoo - ABC News Network. Retrieved 6 October 2014.
15. Bulgaria's 43th [sic] National Assembly to be inaugurated todayКопирано от standartnews.com Standart, 27 October 2014
16. "Bulgarian MPs Approve New Cabinet, Ministers Sworn In". Novinite.com. Sofia News Agency. Retrieved 7 November 2014.
17. "Bulgaria's Parliament Approves New Government". abcnews.go.com. ABC News Internet Ventures. Retrieved 7 November 2014.