Bulgaria’s Central Election Commission (CEC) has announced the seat distribution in the 50th National Assembly, with the full list of MPs set to be made public next week.

Former Prime Minister Boiko Borissov’s GERB-Union of Democratic Forces electoral coalition were allocated 68 seats, one fewer than after the April 2023 early election, after receiving 24.7 per cent of the votes in the National Assembly election, held alongside the European Parliament election on June 9.

Predominantly ethnic Turk Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) won 47 seats, up from 36 it had in the 49th National Assembly, as it finished second in the voting with 17.07 per cent.

The We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (WCC-DB) electoral coalition will have 39 MPs in the next Parliament, having won 14.33 per cent of the vote. It won 64 seats in April 2023.

Pro-Russian Vuzrazhdane party will have 38 MPs – it had won 37 seats in last year’s election, but saw its parliamentary group reduced to 34 after the expulsion of several members. It received 13.78 per cent of the vote on June 9.

Support for Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) continues to decline and the party received 7.06 per cent of the vote, despite the lower turnout compared to the April 2023 election. It will have 19 MPs, four fewer than in the previous Parliament.

Cable presenter Slavi Trifonov’s ITN will have 16 MPs, up from 11 in the 49th National Assembly, after winning 5.96 per cent of the vote.

It will no longer be the smallest group in Parliament, that distinction going to populist-nationalist Velichie, which cleared the four per cent threshold for the first time and will have 13 MPs after receiving 4.65 per cent of the vote.

CEC will finalise the list of MPs elected no later than June 17, after candidates who were elected in more than one electoral district or to both the National Assembly and European Parliament choose which seat they will take, while some candidates initially deemed elected may inform the commission that they did not want to take up their seats.

(Bulgaria’s National Assembly plenary hall. Photo: parliament.bg)

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Two initiatives were signed in the margins of this week’s meeting of Nato Defence Ministers, strengthening Allies’ ability to train aircrews and to collaborate with civil aviation authorities on air space usage, Nato said in a media statement on June 13.

On June 13, the Netherlands joined the Nato Flight Training Europe (NFTE) initiative, bringing the total number of participants to 13: Belgium, Czechia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Montenegro, the Netherlands, North Macedonia, Romania, Spain, Türkiye and the United Kingdom.

The NFTE initiative aims to ensure that state-of-the-art pilot training is available around Europe in a cost-efficient and interoperable manner. It does this by leveraging existing facilities across Europe.

If required, the initiative will also support the expansion or creation of new training capacity for different types of pilots.

These can include basic, intermediate and advanced training for fighter jet, helicopter and transport pilots, as well as personnel who remotely pilot uncrewed aircraft.

The NFTE initiative is one of the Alliance’s multinational High Visibility Projects (HVPs), which is being executed through the Nato Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) Support Partnership. 

The Netherlands joins the NFTE only a few months after the initiative’s expansion from five to 14 training campuses in seven participating Allied countries, and the first placement of around 50 pilot students in four locations.

The placement of the first group of students means that Allied aircrews will have access to cutting-edge training opportunities.

On the same day, Belgium and Spain signed the Letter of Intent on cross-border airspace cooperation.

This brings the total number of participants to 16 Allies: Albania, Belgium, Bulgaria, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, North Macedonia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and Türkiye.

The use of larger volumes of national airspace by Nato requires close coordination between civil and military authorities to deliver airspace solutions in a safe and flexible manner, the Alliance said.

The cross-border airspace initiative ensures that Allied civil and military authorities can enhance their cooperation on the use of airspace for Nato training and exercises, and other air activities in several regions of Europe, Nato said.

At the signing ceremony, Nato Deputy Secretary General Mircea Geoană said: “Nato’s ability to train together and exercise at scale is a crucial part of our deterrence and defence posture across all domains. Both projects we are signing today will make our skies safer and ensure our pilots maintain their edge through all stages of training.”

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Opera Plovdiv and Plovdiv municipality are inviting residents of Plovdiv and visitors to the city to a festive gala concert The City Celebrates the Opera on June 16 at Central Square, featuring internationally famed virtuoso violinist Vasko Vassilev.

The free-entry event is the grand finale of the celebrations for the 70th anniversary of the music institute.

The concert, featuring soloists, choir, and orchestra of Opera Plovdiv, will be conducted by Jacopo Sipari di Pescasseroli from Italy and Maestro Dian Tchobanov, director of the Opera.

The musical celebration will begin at 7pm at the Kamenitza stairs with the concert “Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo” performed by the children of Mrs. Opera’s Academy.

At 7.30pm, an artistic procession of choristers, ballet dancers, and child performers will start from the Roman Stadium, where the photo exhibition The Opera is Here is located, and will proceed to the main stage on Gladstone Street overpass, where the gala concert with Vasko Vassilev will start at 8.30pm.

Immediately after the concert, the audience will also witness a dance performance by the ballet of Opera Plovdiv with excerpts from the productions Jesus Christ Superstar and Tomorrow After Today.

Those attending the concert will be able to purchase tickets for the Opera Open festival on site with a special festive discount.

The event follows the example of many major European cities where free concerts by local orchestras and opera theatres become city-wide cultural events.

It is part of Opera Plovdiv’s annual open-air concerts Classic Open Air from the cultural calendar of the municipality of Plovdiv.

(Photo: vaskovassilev.com)

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GERB-UDF leader Boiko Borissov told a news conference on June 13 that he would not be his coalition’s candidate Prime Minister.

Borissov was speaking in his first lengthy comments following GERB-UDF winning the largest share of votes, 24.7 per cent, in Bulgaria’s June 9 2024 early parliamentary elections.

As the winner of the largest share of votes, GERB-UDF is entitled by the constitution to be the first parliamentary group to receive a mandate to seek to form a government.

Borissov said that he was inviting the leaders of the six other parliamentary groups to talks on June 17 on the formation of a government.

“There will be a government if the Prime minister is from GERB. I will not be a candidate, so that we can calm down the possibilities for negotiations,” Borissov said.

A negotiating team of Temenuzka Petkova, Raya Nazaryan and Denitsa Sacheva will hold talks with the others in the 50th National Assembly the steps to forming a cabinet, he said.

Borissov indicated that he would propose an “expert” government and that it was not an option for GERB-UDF to propose a minority government backed by other parliamentary groups.

He insisted that the Prime Minister should be from GERB-UDF, which should also hold other key ministries. Borissov cited the foreign affairs and defence ministries.

Borissov’s talk of an “expert” government is a change from GERB-UDF’s message on the election campaign trail, when the coalition insisted on a government made up of prominent political figures.

Borissov also said that GERB-UDF would not have a coalition with the Movement for Rights and Freedoms without there being a third partner.

Earlier this week, MRF co-leader Delyan Peevski called on Borissov to begin talks on a formula to achieve a stable government.

“I call on the leaders of all Euro-Atlantic parties: be responsible leaders and do not all your personal or party emotions and interests to be placed above the State’s interests. The fears and avoidance of responsibility are not a solution,” Peevski said.

On June 13, in a joint video, We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria co-leader Kiril Petkov and former prime minister Nikolai Denkov, of WCC-DB, said that no matter what government Borissov proposed, WCC-DB would be in opposition.

According to Petkov, WCC will be a clear and constructive opposition, supporting all policies that are “for” Europe and “against” corruption.

“We will fight against every moment of corruption or every incident of corruption or theft, and we will do everything possible so that our reforms that we have pledged and dreamed of continue,” Petkov said.

Vuzrazhdane, which is to be the fourth-largest group in the 50^th National Assembly, has said that it regarded the only option as a government proposed on the basis of a mandate it held.

Vuzrazhdane leader Kostadin Kostadinov said earlier this week that there were only two possible scenarios, the formation of a government that will postpone the inevitable end of those involved in it, or no government and new early parliamentary elections in October or November.

Viktoria Vassileva, of Velichie, which will be the seventh and smallest group in the 50^th National Assembly, ruled out the party supporting a government on the basis of a mandate held by GERB-UDF or the MRF.

“I do not think that a government of GERB of DPS will be something good and useful for the country,” Vassileva told Bulgarian National Television on June 13.

She said that there is no such term as “expert government”.

“What does an expert government mean? There is no such animal. Whatever the government is, no matter how far it is from all parties, it has a political mandate, it implements policy. Politics cannot be only expert,” she said.

(Boiko Borissov speaks to reporters on June 13. Photo: Screenshot via Bulgarian National Television live broadcast)

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As of June 13, the first ever EU rules on combating violence against women and domestic violence enter into force, the European Commission (EC) said in a statement.

Violence against women and domestic violence affect an estimated one in three of the 228 million women in the EU, the EC said.

“By criminalising certain forms of violence against women across the EU, including online, and strengthening victims’ access to justice, protection and support, the Directive aims to ensure the fundamental rights of equal treatment and non-discrimination between women and men,” it said.

The EC said that the new rules are decisive against gender-based violence, and ban female genital mutilation, forced marriage and the most widespread forms of cyber violence, such as the non-consensual sharing of intimate images (including deepfakes), cyber stalking and cyber harassment (including cyber flashing).

Cyber violence is an urgent issue to address, given the exponential spread and dramatic impact of violence online. The new EU rules will help victims of cyber violence in EU countries that did not yet criminalise these acts, the Commission said.

Věra Jourová, EC Vice-President for Values and Transparency, said: “For the first time ever, we criminalise gender-based cyber violence, such as non-consensual sharing of intimate images, including deepfakes, which is a nightmare for many women.

“Such violence is often the reason why women leave public life. Online violence is real violence and violence against women is an every minute problem,” Jourová said.

Helena Dalli, European Commissioner for Equality said: “This Directive offers a thorough response to a pervasive issue.

“It addresses the prevention of gender-based violence, the protection and support of victims, and the adequate punishment for perpetrators. This is an important step toward eradicating violence against women and domestic violence,” Dalli said.

EU member states have until June 14 2027 to transpose the Directive into their national law. 

(Photo: Fabrizio Turco/ freeimages.com)

Bulgaria loses between $2.4 and 4.9 billion of additional GDP per year due to discrimination against LGBTI people, according to a report by the Institute for Market Economics (IME) presented at a business forum organized by the GLAS Foundation on the occasion of Sofia Pride, a June 13 media statement said.

Bulgaria’s GDP could be 2.5 to five per cent higher with full acceptance and equality of LGBTI+ people, according to the report.

Calculations by the IME show that in real terms for 2023, this would mean that instead of 15 900 per capita, which is the IMF’s estimate of the country’s GDP for 2023, it would be between 16.2 and 16.6 thousand US dollars.

The data are part of a report by the Institute for Market Economy assessing the negative impact of homophobia on the economic development of Bulgaria.

The analysis shows that rejection and discrimination are among the key drivers of emigration from the country for LGBTI+ people. Only by reversing the migration processes among homosexuals, the country has the potential to increase its population by 3000 to 5000 people a year.

According to the report, workplace discrimination has a direct impact on employee productivity.

The assessment reveals a potential for increasing the added value of LGBTI+ workers in Bulgaria by almost 10 000 leva a year, and labour productivity in the economy as a whole, by up to 1.8 per cent.

The wider acceptance of LGBTI+ people also affects the labour market. Eliminating hiring discrimination has the potential to increase the number of workers by 28 000 to 57 000 people and the employment rate by 0.7-1.4 percentage points.

The report also shows that the positioning and perception of Bulgaria as open and safe for LGBTI+ tourism can bring 184 million leva additional revenue to the tourism sector. The country loses almost 380 000 potential tourists who head to other destinations.

LGBTI+ acceptance has an established relationship with the potential for innovation.

The analysis shows that, with the complete elimination of discrimination, Bulgaria can raise its index of economic complexity (a frequently used measure of innovation potential and high-tech development) to levels close to the European average.

The assessment of the potential for expansion of investments in the country made by the IPI shows that discrimination against LGBTI+ people reduces the potential amount of foreign direct investment in the country by 9-15 per cent, or 2.5-4.3 billion euro by 2022.

Improving the environment for LGBTI+ has the opportunity to increase the number of workers, and the added value in the professional, managerial, etc. creative industries.

The estimated potential effect on employment with up to 21 thousand new employees, and on the added value up to 350 million leva.

The IME analysis also presents an overview of company policies towards the LGBTI+ community of the hundred largest enterprises in the country.

It reveals that only nine per cent of employment leader companies have specific activities that target the community, 19 per cent explicitly condemn discrimination, and 70 per cent of them have no mention of a policy or support for the LGBTI+ community.

The presented hypotheses, assessments and quantitative consequences of homophobia and discrimination can mainly serve as a starting point and the beginning of the conversation about what the Bulgarian economy can gain if it uses the resources of its LGBTI+ community better. They can also arm the advocates of equal rights with arguments.

A wide range of scientific theories in economics, public health and other social sciences support the idea that overcoming disenfranchisement and full inclusion of LGBTI+ people is associated with higher levels of economic development and well-being. Bulgaria ranks one of the last places in Europe in terms of guaranteeing the rights of LGBTI+ people, and to an even greater extent – ​​in terms of their acceptance in society.

The observed trends are also not particularly encouraging, as there are no indicators that point to a significant improvement in the environment or public opinion over the past decade.

The most appropriate description of the current state of rights and acceptance of LGBTI+ people in the country is “stagnation”, and at a very low level.

The half-day forum is aimed at companies committed to creating an inclusive work environment. Among the guests of the event are experts and representatives of some of the largest companies in the world, represented in Bulgaria – Booking.com, Hyatt, Hilton, Siteground, IBM, Commerzbank, Accenture, EY, Telus International, HPE and others.

The report was prepared by the Institute for Market Economics on behalf of the GLAS Foundation with the financial support of the America for Bulgaria Foundation.

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Bulgaria’s national weather bureau has issued the Code Orange warning of hazardous weather for several districts for June 14 because of forecast heavy rain and thunderstorms.

The districts subject to the Code Orange warning for Friday are Varna, Bourgas, Dobrich, Shoumen, Silistra, Razgrad, Rousse, Sliven, Yambol, Haskovo and Kurdzhali.

Seven districts are subject to the lesser Code Orange warning of potentially hazardous weather on June 14, also because of forecast rain and storms: Veliko Turnovo, Gabrovo, Lovech, Plovdiv, Stara Zagora, Smolyan and Pazardzhik.

The country’s remaining districts are classified Code Green, meaning that no weather warning is in place.

Bulgaria’s capital city Sofia is expected to see a maximum high of 23 degrees Celsius on June 14, with possible thunderstorms, Plovdiv 27 degrees, Bourgas 27 degrees and Varna 25 degrees, each with the possibility of thunderstorms.

The weather bureau said that on Friday, with the passage of a cold front, the wind will shift from the north-west and strengthen to moderate.

It will become cloudy and in many places there will be short spells of rain and thunderstorms, while hail is possible.

Maximum temperatures across Bulgaria on Friday will range from 23 to 28 deg C.

It will rain in eastern parts of Bulgaria overnight, but it will stop by Saturday. June 15 is forecast to see mainly sunny skies, weaker wind and daytime temperatures about two to three degrees higher.

(Photo: David Rosen Photography)

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At a meeting on the evening of June 12, Bulgaria’s Central Electoral Commission (CEC) formally decided on the distribution of the country’s 17 seats in the European Parliament among the coalitions and parties that stood in the June 9 elections.

Of the 17, Boiko Borissov’s centre-right GERB-UDF coalition will have five, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms – co-led at national level by Delyan Peevski, sanctioned by the United States and United Kingdom for corruption – three, the reformist We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria coalition three, and pro-Kremlin party Vuzrazhdane three.

ITN, a populist party led by Slavi Trifonov, a presenter on a minor television cable station, will have one seat.

According to the CEC, with 100 per cent of ballots tallied, on June 9 GERB-UDF got 23.54 per cent, the MRF 14.66 per cent, WCC-DB 14.44 per cent, Vuzrazhdane 13.98 per cent, the BSP 7.01 per cent and ITN 6.04 per cent. These are the groups that surpassed the 5.88 per cent share of valid ballots to win seats in the European Parliament.

GERB-UDF list leader, former Speaker of the National Assembly Rossen Zhelyazkov, has declined to take up the European Parliament seat to which he was elected, opting to sit in the newly-elected 50^th National Assembly, elections for which were held “two-in-one” on June 9.

While the CEC has yet to formally announce those deemed to have been elected as MEPs, the GERB-UDF contingent apparently will be Andrei Kovachev, Andrei Nobakov, Emil Radev, Eva Maydel and Iliya Lazarov.

Of those elected to the European Parliament on the MRF ticket, the party’s co-leader Dzhevdet Chakarov has declined to take up his seat, as has Iskra Mihailova, formerly an MRF representative in the European Parliament. Mihailova, an MEP since 2014, is a vice-president of the Renew Europe group in the European Parliament.

The MRF’s three seats will go to Ilhan Kyuchuk, Taner Kabilov, and Elena Yoncheva, the last-mentioned formerly elected as an MEP on a Bulgarian Socialist Party ticket, and who as such, was a member of the EP’s Socialists and Democrats group. The MRF, as a party, is a member of the Renew Group, a different political family that is an alliance of liberals and democrats.

The three WCC-DB MPs are to be, on the basis of unofficial data pending an official CEC decision, Nikola Minchev – a former Speaker of Bulgaria’s National Assembly – Radan Kanev, a veteran reformist MEP, and Hristo “Itso Hazarta” Petrov, the last-mentioned best-known as a rapper before his entry into politics.

Preferential voting by WCC-DB voters eliminated Stefan Tafrov and Daniel Lorer from the places that otherwise would have gained them seats as MEPs.

The Vuzrazhdane trio are Stanislav Stoyanov, former journalist and strident Russophile Petar Volgin, and Rada Laikova.

The BSP MEPs are to be Kristian Vigenin, formerly – in more than one term – a deputy speaker of Bulgaria’s National Assembly and formerly the country’s Foreign Minister in the 2013-14 “Oresharski” administration, and Tsvetelina Penkova.

BSP candidate Roumen Gechev, arguably best-known for having held office in the BSP’s catastrophic Videnov administration in the 1990s and who has been shown to have worked for communist-era secret service State Security, was eliminated from election through preferential voting.

ITN’s MEP is to be Ivailo Vulchev.

The results represent voting in Bulgaria’s fifth election of MEPs.

In 2019, GERB won six seats, the BSP four, the MRF four, nationalist VMRO two and Democratic Bulgaria one.

In 2014, GERB won six, the BSP four, the MRF four, former television interviewer Nikolai Barekov’s populist Bulgaria Without Censorship two and the centre-right coalition Reformist Bloc, formerly led by Radan Kanev, one.

In 2009, GERB won five, the BSP four, the MRF three, far-right pro-Russian party Ataka two, the National Movement for Stability and Progress (a party formed around former monarch Simeon Saxe-Coburg) two and centre-right electoral alliance the Blue Coalition one.

In 2007, in Bulgaria’s first European Parliament elections after the country joined the EU at the start of that year, GERB won five, the BSP five, the MRF four, Ataka three and NMSP one.

To read The Sofia Globe’s June 2024 Election Factfile, please click here.

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Controversy surrounds Velichie, the populist-nationalist party that is a surprise new entrant to Bulgaria’s National Assembly following the country’s June 9 2024 early parliamentary elections.

Although no opinion poll had foreseen Velichie winning enough votes for a share of seats and no significant political party bothered to mention it in their campaigns, the party got 4.65 per cent – with close to 100 000 votes – to become the 50^th National Assembly’s seventh and smallest parliamentary group.

The party is only about a year old, having been founded by former National Security Service staffer Nikolai Markov and business person Ivelin Mihailov, the latter the owner of numerous companies – most in the real estate sector – but best known for the Historical Park development near Bulgaria’s Black Sea city of Varna.

The Historical Park project was the subject of media allegations about financial irregularities, and has been investigated by the Financial Supervision Commission, while there also have been media allegations about illicit combat training and stockpiling of weapons.

Mihailov has denied these allegations and all and any wrongdoing. A check by the Interior Ministry and the State Agency for National Security has produced no result.

On June 11, National Revenue Agency head Roumen Spetsov told reporters that the agency was investigating Mihailov’s companies in connection with allegations of financial wrongdoing and fraud.

Spetsov said that the investigations were continuing, but added that Mihailov’s companies owed arrears taxes.

According to Spetsov, the investigations had no connection to the election campaign, which ended last week.

On June 12, the Boets civic movement approached the State Agency for National Security in connection with a June 16 2023 Facebook post by Markov.

In the Facebook post, Markov – who has a track record of Russophilia and opposition to the supply of aid to Ukraine – said that every day he received via “intelligence channels” dozens of clips about exports of all kinds of weapons to Ukraine.

He said that he did not put these online, but instead sent them “through a secret channel directly to Moscow”.

Boets said that the post showed that Markov “collects and receives from unknown persons and sources intelligence information related to the military aid that Bulgaria sends to Ukraine, or at least that is what he claims. He states that this is his job and that he sends this information through a secret channel directly to Moscow, apparently to the Russian intelligence services”.

Boets asked the State Agency for National Security to investigate the “data and information presented about espionage in favour of Russia” and immediate action given that Markov had been elected as an MP and thus would have access to classified information, including reports from Bulgaria’s intelligence services and army.

Mihailov, speaking to bTV on June 11, said in response to the National Revenue Agency announcement that he would shut down his companies, dismiss his employees, pay the arrears tax and from then, deprive the state’s coffers of millions of leva in annual revenue.

“It is common for many companies, having something else to do with the money, not to take it immediately to the state and then pay 23 per cent interest. This is something we have been doing for many years.”

Mihailov said that the allegations of fraud emanated from one person, who had presented no evidence.

On Facebook, Markov said that he had been attacked “in every possible way” since the elections, and said that he had received a death threat, which he linked to Velichie’s allegation about “rigging” of the elections, and which he said he was referring to the State Agency for National Security.

(Photo of Markov and Mihailov via Velichie’s Facebook page)

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The World Bank has slightly lowered its economic growth forecast for Bulgaria for 2024, to 2.1 per cent, a reduction of 0.3 percentage points compared with the Bank’s January 2024 projection.

At the same time, in its Global Economics Prospects report, released on June 11, the World Bank lowered its economic growth prospect for Bulgaria for 2025, by 0.2 percentage points, to 3.1 per cent.

In January 2024, the Bank also had lowered its economic growth forecast for Bulgaria in comparison with June 2023, as The Sofia Globe reported at the time.

Growth in Europe and Central Asia (ECA) is projected to soften to 3.0 per cent this year and to 2.9 per cent in 2025, the World Bank’s June 2024 report said.

The slowdown in 2024 largely reflects decelerations in the Russian Federation and Türkiye.

Excluding these two economies and Ukraine, growth is projected to firm this year and next, as inflation eases, monetary policy rates are cut, and the growth of exports, particularly to the euro area, strengthens.

Geopolitical developments remain the predominant downside risk to the growth outlook, especially those linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and conflict in the Middle East.

Uncertainty about economic policies is also likely to remain elevated.

Although the risks of higher-than-expected inflation have decreased, there could still be upward pressure on commodity prices or wages, along with potential new episodes of financial strains, the World Bank said.

(Photo, of World Bank headquarters: flickr.com/ Shiny Things)

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Speaking on June 11 in Berlin at the Ukraine Recovery Conference, European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen has announced several new initiatives that the EC says will “help ensure that Ukraine remains the master of its own future and is brought closer to the European Union”.

The EC said that at the conference, the EU has signed agreements worth 1.4 billion euro with partner banks to attract investments in Ukraine from the private sector.

In addition, close to 500 million euro has been raised for urgent repairs to Ukraine’s energy sector, through the Energy Support Fund.

The EU Civil Protection Mechanism has helped to mobilise more than 15 000 solar panels to support Ukraine’s energy sector and it now plans to provide 1000 more power generators through the rescEU strategic reserves, the EC said.

The EU has also agreed to exempt Ukraine from paying its financial obligations related to its participation in 14 EU programmes.

Since the start of the Russian aggression, the EU’s financial, humanitarian, emergency, budget and military support to Ukraine amounts to almost 100 billion euro, the EC said.

By the end of election day at 8pm on June 9 2024, voter turnout for Bulgaria’s early National Assembly elections was 34.41 per cent and for the country’s regular European Parliament elections 33.79 per cent, the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) said in figures posted on its website on June 11.

Of the 6 593 275 registered voters in the early National Assembly elections, 2 268 644 cast a ballot, while of the 6 138 050 registered voters in Bulgaria’s European Parliament elections, 2 074 192 did so.

Voter turnout in Bulgaria’s June 2024 National Assembly elections – the sixth in just more than three years – was significantly lower than in the April 2023 early parliamentary elections.

According to the CEC, in April 2023, voter turnout was 40.69 per cent, with 2 683 606 out of 6 594 593 voters going to the polling stations.

Voter turnout in the June 2024 parliamentary elections was the lowest since Bulgaria began, in 1991, holding democratic parliamentary elections.

In 1991, voter turnout in the parliamentary elections was 83.87 per cent; in 1994, 75.23 per cent; in 1997, 58.87 per cent; in 2001, 66.63 per cent; in 2005, 55.76 per cent; in 2009, 60.64 per cent; in 2013, 52.47 per cent; in 2014, 49.51 per cent; in 2017, 52.57 per cent; in April 2021, 49.1 per cent; in July 2021, 40.39 per cent; in November 2021, 38.43 per cent; in 2022, 39.3 per cent; and in 2023, 40.69 per cent.

In Bulgaria’s previous European Parliament elections, in May 2019, voter turnout was 32.64 per cent, with 2 095 575 out of 6 419 472 registered voters casting a ballot.

To read The Sofia Globe’s June 2024 Election Factfile, please click here.

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The results of Bulgaria’s June 9 2024 early National Assembly and regular European Parliament elections have been followed by resignations of two political party leaders, while others – against the background of low voter turnout and decreases in support – are mulling their parties’ future roles.

On June 10, Hristo Ivanov resigned as leader of Yes Bulgaria, a constituent party of the Democratic Bulgaria coalition, in turn part of the We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria coalition.

In the early National Assembly elections, WCC-DB got 14.33 per cent of the vote, according to the Central Electoral Commission (CEC). WCC-DB ran third, compared with the April 2023 early parliamentary elections, when it was second, with 24.56 per cent of the vote.

In the European Parliament elections, WCC-DB got 14.44 per cent, according to the CEC.

Ivanov said that the executive board of Yes Bulgaria had accepted his resignation. He would not seek re-election, and did not intend taking up the seat in the National Assembly to which he had been elected.

“We believe that this result for the parties of our coalition requires the assumption of leadership responsibility, which is why I resigned and my colleagues supported this decision,” he said.

Among the other co-leaders of WCC-DB, Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria leader Atanas Atanassov said that he would seek a vote of confidence from his party at a congress.

WCC co-leader Kiril Petkov said on Facebook on June 11 that his party was gathering to consider the new situation in depth.

“Three things are clear: we will be a strong and constructive opposition, we will be the strongest advocates for the continuation of the European model in Bulgaria, where goods are distributed fairly, we will fight against any attempt at theft and corruption,” Petkov said.

Earlier, soon after exit polls following Sunday’s vote, Petkov said on Facebook: “We have heard you. We will be strong opposition to [GERB-UDF leader Boiko] Borissov and [Movement for Rights and Freedoms co-leader] Peevski’s plans to return us to the years of lean pizza and racketeering”.

GERB-UDF won the most votes in the National Assembly elections on June 9, with the MRF in second place.

On June 11, Kornelia Ninova announced that she was resigning as leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP).

Since becoming leader of the BSP in May 2016, Ninova has led the party to a succession of defeats.

In the June 9 2024 National Assembly elections, the BSP got 7.06 per cent of the vote, down from 8.93 per cent in April 2023. In the March 2017 elections, it received 27.93 per cent.

In the June 2024 European Parliament elections, the BSP got 7.01 per cent. In Bulgaria’s previous regular European Parliament elections, in May 2019, the BSP got 24.26 per cent.

Ninova described the BSP’s June 2024 results as “catastrophic”.

She said that she was convening the BSP national council, which would decide whether to accept her resignation.

This is the third time that Ninova has announced her resignation because of BSP’s poor results in elections. She did so most recently in 2021, after which the party congress did not accept it. After the European elections in 2019, Ninova resigned, but later withdrew her resignation.

On June 10, BSP Youth demanded Ninova’s resignation, saying that since 2017, the party had lost 800 000 votes.

Borissov has said little since the June 9 election, after briefly expressing thanks to those who voted for GERB-UDF, and saying that GERB would reserve further comments on the election results.

Peevski said on Facebook after voting ended on June 9: “I believe that the MRF and I personally will live up to the great trust you placed in us”.

Kostadin Kostadinov, leader of Vuzrazhdane, which placed fourth in Sunday’s National Assembly elections, said that the party was not satisfied with its results because it had bigger goals.

Kostadinov lashed out at Velichie, a surprise new entrant to Bulgaria’s Parliament – win won 40.7 per cent of the vote for the National Assembly, after no polling agency had shown it as having a chance to surpass the threshold for seats – as “an American project designed to stunt the growth of Vuzrazhdane”.

To read The Sofia Globe’s June 2024 Election Factfile, please click here.

(Photo, of the Party House in Bulgaria’s capital city Sofia, currently being used for sittings of the National Assembly: parliament.bg)

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The European Commission (EC) said on June 11 that it has opened an in-depth investigation to assess, under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR), the acquisition by the Emirates Telecommunications Group Company PJSC (e&) of sole control of PPF Telecom Group B.V., excluding its Czech business.

“The Commission has preliminary concerns that e& may have been granted foreign subsidies that could distort the EU internal market,” the EC said.

The statement noted that e& is a State-controlled telecommunication operator based in the United Arab Emirates. PPF is a European telecommunication operator and a subsidiary of the PPF Group.

“The preliminary investigation indicates that there are sufficient indications that e& has received foreign subsidies distorting the EU internal market,” the statement said.

The alleged subsidies notably take the form of an unlimited guarantee from the UAE and a loan from UAE-controlled banks directly facilitating the transaction.

“Such subsidies are among the most likely to distort the internal market as set out in the Foreign Subsidies Regulation.

“The Commission has concerns that such subsidies may have improved e&’s capacity to perform the acquisition as well as the competitive position of the merged entity in the EU going forward, notably by improving its capacity to finance its EU activities at preferential terms.”

EC Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager in charge of competition policy said: “Today we open our first in-depth investigation into a concentration under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation – Emirates Telecommunications’ acquisition of parts of PPF Telecom.

“The FSR allows us to tackle distortive support from third countries for the acquisition of businesses in the EU. Our investigation will also assess whether e& may have received foreign subsidies that could distort fair competition in the telecom sector,” Vestager said.

As The Sofia Globe reported on August 2 2023, PPF Group and Emirates Telecommunication Group Company (“e&”) signed an agreement under which e& will acquire a stake of 50 per cent plus one share in PPF Telecom Group’s assets in Bulgaria, Hungary, Serbia and Slovakia, PPF said in a media statement on August 1.

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The European Commission (EC) said on June 11 that it had proposed to extend the temporary protection for people fleeing Russia’s aggression against Ukraine for another year, from March 5 2025 to March 4 2026.

“Given continued Russian attacks on the civil and critical infrastructure across Ukraine, safe and durable conditions for the return of people to Ukraine are not currently in place,” the EC said.

“The Commission therefore considers that the reasons for temporary protection persist, and that it should be prolonged for another year as a necessary and appropriate response to the current situation.”

The EC statement said that the ultimate goal is to ensure that all those fleeing Russia’s war of aggression can find protection in the EU, and that those almost 4.2 million people that are already benefiting from temporary protection in the EU member states are provided with as much stability as possible under the current circumstances.

The Temporary Protection Directive grants immediate protection and access to rights in the EU, including residency rights, access to the labour market, accommodation, social welfare assistance, medical and other assistance. It also helps member states to manage arrivals in an orderly and effective way, the EC said.

The EC will present the proposal to EU ministers at the Justice and Home Affairs Council on June 13. It is then for the Council to formally adopt the proposal.

The EU activated the Temporary Protection Directive on March 4 2022 with a unanimous decision by member states and it was automatically extended by one year and further extended for an additional year by the Council until March 4 2025.

(Archive photo, from March 2022: UNHCR/ Chris Melzer)

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The European Parliament has published a provisional estimate of allocations of seats to parliamentary groups, following the June 6 to 9 2024 elections in the European Union’s 27 member states.

The estimate is based on available provisional or final national results published after voting has finished in all member states, based on the structure of the outgoing Parliament.

The 2024-2029 European Parliament will have 720 seats.

(Main photo: EC Audiovisual Service)

In January – April 2024, the total value of all the goods exported from Bulgaria amounted to 28 071.9 million leva, 3.8 per cent less than in January – April 2023, the National Statistical Institute (NSI) said on June 11, citing preliminary data.

In April 2024, the total exports of goods added up to 7 302.6 million leva, an increase of eight per compared with April 2023, the NSI said.

The total value of all the goods imported into Bulgaria in January – April 2024 amounted to 32 123.7 million leva (at CIF prices), 0.1 per cent less than January – April 2023.

In April 2024, the total imports of goods increased by 16.8 per cent compared with April 2023, adding up to 8 589.2 million leva.

Bulgaria’s total foreign trade balance (exports FOB – imports CIF) was negative in the period January – April 2024, amounting to 4 051.8 million leva.

In April 2024, Bulgaria’s total foreign trade balance (exports FOB – import CIF) was also negative, adding up to 1 286.6 million leva, the NSI said.

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Former Prime Minister Boiko Borissov’s GERB-UDF coalition was poised to win decisively in the June 9 European Parliament elections, held alongside National Assembly elections, according to partial results from Bulgaria’s Central Election Commission.

With ballots from 93.4 per cent of all voting precincts tallied, GERB-UDF received 23.5 per cent of the votes, ahead of the We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (WCC-DB) centre-right electoral coalition, which had 14.91 per cent.

Pro-Russian Vuzrazhdane was third with 14.24 per cent of the vote, followed by predominantly-ethnic Turk Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) with 13.48 per cent.

Kornelia Ninova’s Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and cable television presenter Slavi Trifonov’s ITN party both comfortably cleared the 5.88 per cent threshold to win a seat, with 7.07 per cent and 6.17 per cent, respectively.

Populist-nationalist Velichie, which was set to be the smallest party in the next Bulgarian parliament, was top among the parties that failed to clear the threshold with 4.16 per cent of the vote.

Provisional projections on EU’s website tracking the results of the European Parliament elections across the bloc’s 27 member states, gave GERB-UDF five of Bulgaria’s 17 seats in the next European Parliament.

WCC-DB, MRF and Vuzrazhdane were each set to win three seats, with BSP getting two and ITN one.

(Photo: European Parliament)

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Former Prime Minister Boiko Borissov’s GERB-UDF coalition won the largest share of the vote in the June 9 parliamentary elections, held alongside European Parliament elections, according to partial results from Bulgaria’s Central Election Commission.

With ballots from 93.5 per cent of all voting precincts tallied, GERB-UDF received 24.63 per cent of the votes, ahead of the predominantly-ethnic Turk Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), which had 15.89 per cent.

We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (WCC-DB) centre-right electoral coalition was set to be the third-largest group in the 50th National Assembly, winning 14.81 per cent, followed by pro-Russian Vuzrazhdane with 14.04 per cent.

Kornelia Ninova’s Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) was fifth with 7.12 per cent, ahead of cable television presenter Slavi Trifonov’s ITN party on 6.1 per cent, while populist-nationalist Velichie was set to be the smallest party in the next parliament after winning 4.76 per cent of the vote.

The final results, including the number of seats won by the parties and coalitions standing in the June 2024 parliamentary election, were expected to be announced by the Central Election Commission later this week.

The names of the MPs in the 240-seat legislature would be announced several days later, allowing those candidates who stood for election in more than one electoral district or for both the National Assembly and the European Parliament to choose which seat they will take.

The Central Election Commission was yet to announce the final turnout figures, but said that 20.44 per cent had cast ballots as of 4pm on June 9, compared to 27.27 per cent recorded at the same point in the April 2 2023 election. Final turnout in the April 2023 election was 40.69 per cent.

(Photo: parliament.bg)

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The June 9 2024 simultaneous early parliamentary and European elections in Bulgaria were free and competitive, offering voters a pluralistic range of choices, a delegation of observers from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) has concluded.

While the electoral procedures were well-managed, voter turnout reflected a significant lack of enthusiasm, with less than a third of voters participating in the national elections, a media statement on June 10 said.

“This indicates a growing voter fatigue and skepticism about political change,” the statement said.

The 11-member delegation, led by Oleksii Goncharenko (Ukraine, EC/DA), observed the early parliamentary elections over four days, with five teams deployed in Sofia, Plovdiv, Blagoevgrad, Kyustendil, Pleven, Pernik and Breznik.

A full report on the observation will be presented to the PACE plenary session in September 2024.

“All recent elections in Bulgaria have been professionally organised and well-implemented,” Goncharenko said.

“Minor irregularities and technical problems with the voting machines aside, these elections were no exception. The simultaneous European elections did not pose significant challenges,” he said.

“However, the Bulgarian electorate is exhausted from being called to vote for the sixth time in three years, leading to disillusionment with the country’s governance. Mistrust in the main political actors and uncertain prospects for political stability risk pushing voters towards extremes. The newly elected parliament must therefore strive to regain the electorate’s trust and re-engage with them.”

The constitutional reform in December 2023, which inter alia granted citizens with dual citizenship the right to be elected as MPs and ministers, is a welcome development in line with previous recommendations from the Venice Commission and the OSCE ODIHR, the statement said.

However, some other long-standing recommendations, particularly regarding the voting rights of individuals under judicial interdiction or serving prison sentences, remain unaddressed, it said.

The PACE delegation is particularly concerned about persistent issues of vote-buying and corporate and controlled vote – both explicit and implicit, allegations of which were frequently raised by interlocutors and confirmed by the caretaker Minister of Interior. “These issues need thorough investigation to restore public trust.”

The tone of the campaigns, both online and offline, was predominantly negative and did not improve during the parliamentary campaign period.

The PACE delegation was also informed of a number of abusive court proceedings on defamation grounds and reiterates its long-standing recommendation to adopt new legislative measures for the protection of journalists.

On Election Day, voters seemed familiar with the voting procedures, choosing between paper ballots and voting machines, the statement said, noting that a significant number of voters preferred paper ballots.

The process in the polling station was somewhat bureaucratic, involving multiple stamps and identification checks.

Despite the professionalism of the members of the Precinct Election Commissions, this would probably lead to delays and long queues if participation was higher.

The secrecy of the vote was not fully guaranteed, the statement said.

The transparency of machine-printed ballots allowed others to potentially see the votes cast.

“The PACE delegation calls on the new Bulgarian authorities to rethink the current system of electronic voting in use to secure its reliability while making the best use of modern technologies.

“Whereas it is clear that ICT technologies alone cannot restore Bulgarians’ trust in the electoral process or uproot corruptive practices, nevertheless if coupled with legal safeguards and transparent electoral practices, they could gradually boost voter confidence,” the statement said.

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British citizens living abroad are eligible to vote in the UK general election on July 4 but must be registered to vote by the deadline on midnight June 18, the Electoral Commission said in a media statement.

The Electoral Commission is calling on voters to register now and apply for an absent vote if they will not be in the UK on polling day.

For the first time, British citizens living abroad are eligible to vote regardless of how long they have been living outside the UK. Applications can be made online at gov.uk/register-to-vote.

Since January 16 2024, when the 15-year rule was abolished, there have been more than 100 000 applications to register to vote by UK citizens living overseas.

Applicants will need to provide details of the address and time they were last registered or resident in the UK. Electoral Registration Officers, which are responsible for the electoral roll in their area, must be able to verify an applicant’s identity and past connection to the area.  

Craig Westwood, Director of Communications, said: “If you live abroad and want to have your say in the UK general election on July 4, you should register to vote now. It no longer matters how long you have been living outside the UK, if you are eligible, you can register and have your say at the ballot box.

“As an overseas voter you will have to prove your connection to the constituency you were last registered to vote, or where you lived if you have never been registered to vote before.

“We know that there are eligible voters all around the world, so we are calling on anyone with friends and family abroad to help spread the word, and let them know to register before the deadline.”

Many overseas voters may also wish to apply for an absent vote if they will not be in the country on July 4.

Applications to vote by post or proxy in Great Britain can now also be made online. The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm June 19 and to apply for a proxy vote is 5pm June 26. 

Proxy voting – when someone you trust votes on your behalf – may be a preferred option for anyone living further afield who is concerned about how long it might take to receive and return a postal vote.

To find out if they are eligible to vote, British citizens abroad can call the local authority where they were last registered to vote, or where they last lived in the UK, to check. Details of local authority can be found on the Electoral Commission website by entering the postcode of the last place they lived in the UK.

(Photo: Nick Manning)

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Boiko Borissov’s GERB-UDF coalition got, by a significant margin, the largest share of votes in Bulgaria’s June 9 2024 European Parliament elections, according to an exit poll conducted by Alpha Research.

From June 6 to 9, regular European Parliament elections were being held in all EU member states, including Bulgaria, which in the 720-seat European Parliament, has 17 MEPs.

According to the exit poll, the results as of 7.30pm, not counting the votes cast abroad, were:

GERB-UDF: 25.8 per cent

We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (WCC-DB): 15.9 per cent

Vuzrazhdane: 14.8 per cent

The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF): 14.1 per cent

Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP): 8.8 per cent

ITN: 5.7 per cent

To win a seat in the European Parliament, a party or coalition needs to win 5.88 per cent of the vote.

According to the Central Electoral Commission, in Bulgaria’s May 2019 European Parliament elections, the results were:

GERB: 31.07 per cent

BSP: 24.26 per cent

MRF: 16.55 per cent

VMRO: 7.36 per cent

Democratic Bulgaria: 6.06 per cent.

The European Parliament is expected to begin announcing provisional results from across the 27-member bloc once voting has ended in Italy.

Bulgaria’s European Parliament elections were held simultaneously with early elections for the National Assembly, the country’s sixth such elections in just more than three years.

To read The Sofia Globe’s June 2024 Election Factfile, please click here.

(European Parliament photo: The Sofia Globe)

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Boiko Borissov’s GERB-UDF coalition got by far the largest share of votes in the June 9 2024 early National Assembly elections, according to an exit poll, the results of which were released at about the time voting in Bulgaria ended at 8pm local time.

According to the exit poll, as of 7.30pm the results were:

GERB-UDF: 26.2 per cent

We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (WCC-DB): 15.7 per cent

Vuzrazhdane: 14.5 per cent

The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF): 14.3 per cent

Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP): 9.1 per cent

ITN: 5.8 per cent

To win a share of seats in the National Assembly, a party or coalition must get four per cent or more of valid votes cast. According to the Alpha Research poll, apart from those listed, no other grouping did. The one to come closest but remain still below the threshold was pro-Russian recently-founded party Velichie, at 3.6 per cent.

If these exit poll figures are borne out by final official results as are to be announced in coming days by the Central Election Commission (CEC), the grouping to have shed the most support since Bulgaria’s April 2023 elections is WCC-DB.

According to the CEC, in the April 2023 early parliamentary elections, GERB-UDF got 26.49 per cent, WCC-DB 24.56 per cent, Vuzrazhdane 14.16 per cent, the MRF 13.75 per cent, the BSP 8.93 per cent and ITN 4.11 per cent.

The June 9 vote was held simultaneously with Bulgaria’s regular European Parliament elections.

To read The Sofia Globe’s June 2024 Election Factfile, please click here.

(Photo: government.bg)

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As of 4pm on Bulgaria’s June 9 2024 elections day, voter turnout in the early National Assembly elections was 20.44 per cent and in the country’s regular European Parliament elections 20.89 per cent, Central Electoral Commission (CEC) head Kamelia Neikova said at a 5pm briefing.

In Bulgaria’s previous early National Assembly elections, in April 2023, voter turnout was 27.27 per cent. By the end of voting, at 8pm, it rose to 40.69 per cent.

In Bulgaria’s previous European Parliament elections, at 5.30pm voter turnout was 16.22 per cent.

Bulgaria’s June 2024 parliamentary elections are the 16^th democratic elections in the country since 1991, following the end of the communist regime. Of these 16 parliamentary elections, the June 2024 vote is the sixth in just more than three years. The European Parliament elections are regular ones, being held in the June 6 to 9 time frame for the 27 member states of the EU.

The June 9 election day saw, by the late afternoon, just a mere fraction of the large number of voting machines in Bulgaria and abroad malfunctioning.

Bulgarian election law gives voters a choice whether to use a voting machine or a paper ballot. In the event of a problem with a voting machine, the polling station goes over to solely using paper ballots.

In the course of the day, in spite of the law banning the release of exit polls before the 8pm end of voting, some Bulgarian-language media did so, either directly or via social networks.

The civic platform Ти броиш (“You Count”) said in a 4.30pm said that it had registered a number of violations of the Electoral Code during the votes for the National Assembly and the European Parliament.

It said that the most frequent problems related to campaigning in Turkish – which is unlawful because in Bulgaria’s electoral process, only the Bulgarian language may be used – and failure by officials to put an official stamp on ballot papers from machine voting.

Election day proceeded in sweltering early June weather. Many places in Bulgaria recorded temperatures above 30 degrees Celsius at 3pm, according to the weather bureau. These included Plovdiv, Rousse, Veliko Turnovo, Vidin, Kyustendil, Blagoevgrad and Kurdzhali, among several others.

At Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast, the temperature in Varna was 27 degrees C at 3pm, and in Bourgas, 25 degrees. In Bulgaria’s capital city Sofia, a temperature of 29 deg C was recorded at 3pm.

To read The Sofia Globe’s June 2024 Election Factfile, please click here.

(Photo: president.bg)

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Formations from Bulgaria’s Air Force and Army will conduct joint live-fire exercises at the Air Force range at Shabla on the Black Sea coast from June 10 to 13, the Defence Ministry said.

The exercise is part of Nato’s Ramstein Legancy 2024 exercise taking place in Romania, the ministry said.

Supported by the Navy, the formations will work together to increase their combat trainng and level of interaction and coordination when participating in anti-aircraft operations in a national and Allied format.

Bulgarian Air Force air crews will perform target practice at aerial and sea targets, and guided bombing.

Air Force aircraft to be involved in the exercise include MiG-29 fighter jets, Su-25 assault aircraft and Mi-24 helicopters.

Soviet-era S-125 Neva anti-aircraft missile systems will be in use.

Ground Forces personnel will be using Strela 2M and Strela 3 mobile anti-aircraft missile systems.

(Photo: Defence Ministry)

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Voting in Bulgaria’s June 9 2024 “two-in-one” early National Assembly and regular European Parliament elections began at 7am, with officials saying that the process was proceeding normally.

Bulgaria is holding National Assembly elections for the sixth time in just more than three years, and these are the fifth early parliamentary elections after the regular parliamentary elections that were held on April 4 2021.

In the National Assembly elections, there are more than 6.6 million registered voters, choosing 240 MPs. Twenty parties, 11 coalitions and one independent candidate are standing.

In the European Union, the first elections for members of the 2024-2029 European Parliament were held on June 6 in the Netherlands.

On June 9, along with Bulgaria, a number of other countries are voting in European Parliament elections: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

There are more than 6.1 million Bulgarians registered to vote in this year’s regular European Parliament elections, choosing the country’s 17 MEPs in the 720-seat body.

In Bulgaria, the electorate has a choice of voting using either a voting machine or paper ballots. To distinguish between the National Assembly and European Parliament vote, the ballot papers use different colours.

In Bulgaria’s European Parliament elections, 20 parties, 10 coalitions and one independent candidate are standing.

There 12 972 polling stations in Bulgaria. At 11 635, as the law provides, there is video surveillance and video recording of the process of ballot-counting and the drawing up of the tally sheets by sectional electoral commissions.

Voting is to continue until 8pm, but if there are people still queuing at that hour to vote, officials may allow a polling station to remain open until 9pm.

It is unlawful to release exit poll results before 8pm on June 9.

Central Electoral Commission head Kamelia Neikova told public broadcaster Bulgarian National Television mid-morning on June 9 that all polling stations had opened and the election day was proceeding normally.

The day before the elections, “the Day of Contemplation” on which no canvassing is allowed, had passed without serious violations.

The chief secretary of the Interior Ministry, Dimitar Kangalzhiev said that the election day was taking place in a normal and peaceful environment.

Bulgarian election law leaves in the hands of the country’s individual 265 municipalities to decide whether to impose restrictions on the sale of alcohol.

In Sofia, mayor Vassil Terziev had ordered that the sale, serving and consumption of alcoholic beverages today is permitted in designated places and with a view to holding family and ritual celebrations. The sale and consumption of alcohol is banned at polling stations and places “adjacent” to them.

In Plovdiv, the sale, serving and consumption of alcohol is banned from 6am to 8pm on June 9 in public catering establishments and other public places, with the exception of establishments where pre-planned family celebrations – such as weddings – are being held.

In Pernik municipality, a ban on the sale and consumption of alcohol in shops, catering establishments and other public places is in effect until 8pm. It does not apply to weddings, family and other celebrations, funeral rituals, religious rites and other similar events. for which there is a prior written notification to the mayor.

To read The Sofia Globe’s June 2024 Election Factfile, please click here.

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Boiko Borissov’s GERB-UDF coalition has a lead of 10 points ahead its nearest rivals in Bulgaria’s June 9 2024 early National Assembly and regular European Parliament elections, according to a poll by the Exacta Research Group agency, the results of which were released on June 7.

Like several other polls released in the last week of the campaign before election day, Exacta’s survey showed a close race in the contest for second place, with three groups within the margin of error.

Among those who intend voting in the elections for Bulgaria’s 50th National Assembly, 26.4 per cent support GERB-UDF, followed by 15.5 per cent for We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (WCC-DB).

Pro-Russian Vuzrazhdane had 14.8 per cent support and predominantly-ethnic Turk Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) 14.6 per cent, followed by nine per cent for the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) and 6.2 per cent for cable TV presenter Slavi Trifonov’s ITN.

Voter turnout in the early National Assembly elections would be around 40 per cent, or 2.5 million to 2.7 million, according to the poll, as quoted by Bulgarian National Radio (BNR).

Among those who intend voting in the European Parliament elections, 26 per cent support GERB-UDF, 15.9 per cent WCC-DB, 15.1 per cent Vuzrazhdane, 14.2 per cent the MRF, 8.8 per cent the BSP and 6.2 per cent ITN.

Exacta said that GERB-UDF widened the gap at the top mainly due to the drop in the support for WCC-DB. Several electoral coalitions gained support during the campaign period among “some of the disillusioned and apathetic voters,” BNR quoted the polling agency as saying, but not enough to surpass the four per cent threshold for parliamentary representation or 5.88 per cent required to win an MEP seat.

The poll was done from May 30 to June 4 2024 and was carried out using Exacta Research Group’s own funds among 1050 adult citizens from all over Bulgaria. A stratified two-stage sample was used with quotas for main socio-demographic characteristics. The information was collected through direct semi-standardised face-to-face interviews.

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Bulgaria’s economy grew by 0.4 per cent in the first quarter of the year, according to preliminary data announced by the National Statistical Institute (NSI) on June 7. The figure was in line with last month’s NSI flash estimate.

Compared to the same period of 2023, Bulgaria’s economy grew by 1.8 per cent in the first quarter, slightly higher the 1.7 per cent figure in the NSI flash estimate.

In real terms, gross domestic product (GDP) in January-March was 43.28 billion leva, or 22.13 billion euro, NSI said.

NSI’s seasonally-adjusted preliminary data showed domestic consumption rose by 0.9 per cent during the first quarter, and was 3.4 per cent higher on an annual basis. Gross fixed capital formation grew by 1.7 per cent in January-March, and it was 7.9 per cent up compared to the first quarter of 2023.

Exports in the first quarter were 2.1 per cent lower, while imports declined by 1.9 per cent, with the trade balance showing a surplus of 845.2 million leva, or two per cent of GDP. Compared to the first quarter of last year, exports were down 2.1 per cent and imports were 3.7 per cent lower.

NSI’s statistics releases do not, as a rule, include analysis of trends and its third-quarter GDP announcement made no mention of the impact that Russia’s war against Ukraine has had on Bulgaria’s economy.

Bulgaria’s growth target for 2024 is 3.2 per cent, while the European Commission projected 1.9 per cent growth for Bulgaria’s economy in its spring forecast last month.

(Photo: Steve Ford/sxc.hu)

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Bulgaria is among several countries that issued a joint statement calling on Hamas to accept the proposed ceasefire and hostage deal announced by US President Joe Biden on May 31.

The June 6 joint statement from the leaders of the United States, Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, France, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Spain, Thailand, and the United Kingdom on Gaza was posted on the White House website.

“As leaders of countries deeply concerned for the hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, including many of our own citizens, we fully support the movement towards a ceasefire and hostage release deal now on the table and as outlined by President Biden on May 31 2024.  There is no time to lose,” the joint statement said.

“We call on Hamas to close this agreement, that Israel is ready to move forward with, and begin the process of releasing our citizens.”

The joint statement said that this agreement would lead to an immediate ceasefire and rehabilitation of Gaza together with security assurances for Israelis, and Palestinians, and opportunities for a more enduring long-term peace and a two-state solution.

“At this decisive moment, we call on the leaders of Israel as well as Hamas to make whatever final compromises are necessary to close this deal and bring relief to the families of our hostages, as well as those on both sides of this terrible conflict, including the civilian populations,” the statement said.

“It is time for the war to end and this deal is the necessary starting point,” it said.

On June 3, the proposal announced by Biden was endorsed by the leaders of the G7 countries: “We call on Hamas to accept this deal, that Israel is ready to move forward with, and we urge countries with influence over Hamas to help ensure that it does so”.

In a statement on June 4, European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said that the EU fully supported the proposal: “The EU urges both parties to accept and fulfil the three-phase proposal and stands ready to contribute to reviving a political process for a lasting and sustainable peace, based on the two state solution, and to support a coordinated international effort to rebuild Gaza”.

Terrorist group Hamas launched a savage attack on Israel on October 7 2023, committing mass murder, rape, torture and the taking of hostages. Israel has responded with a military campaign against Hamas. Of about 250 hostages taken, 120 remain in captivity, Israel’s government said this week. There has been large-scale destruction in Gaza, which is in a severe humanitarian crisis.

The Times of Israel reported on June 6 that signs that Hamas was set to reject Israel’s latest proposal for a hostage release and Gaza truce deal mounted Thursday, as officials in the terror group reiterated their insistence that any agreement must guarantee an end to the war, a demand Israel has repeatedly ruled out.

At an official ceremony on June 6, Bulgaria’s caretaker Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov handed over the keys to 110 new off-road vehicles to the Border Police.

“Within only eight months, we were able to launch the public procurement and receive almost half of the planned equipment,” Stoyanov said.

“With the new equipment, our country will be a more reliable partner in the protection of the external border of the EU, and the Border Police employees will be able to meet the daily challenges faced by the service,” he said.

He expressed confidence that in September, the phased receipt of a further 200 cars, which will be of a different make and model, will begin.

The cars were purchased entirely with funds from the traffic safety fund, where the fines imposed by the Interior Ministry under the Traffic Safety Act are collected.

The ministry said that these funds can only be used as appropriate – that is, in the line of road safety for the purchase of technical means, cameras, cars and others for traffic control.

The project “Delivery of motor vehicles for the purposes of border control” is worth more than 69 million leva.

The project also includes additional vehicles – minibuses, specialized transport for service dogs, etc., which will increase the mobility of the border patrols and their quick response in protecting Bulgaria’s border, as an EU external border, the ministry said.

(Photos: Interior Ministry)

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