Bulgarian Parliamentary Elections: seats won in parliament 2017-2023

Bulgaria has been going through a cycle of several inconclusive elections since 2021, with no party emerging with a large enough share of the seats in parliament to form a stable government. Any coalition looking to govern the country requires 121 seats out of the 240 seat Parliament. This has proved to be difficult for any party to achieve due to divisions over the country's stance towards the EU, Russia, and serious issues with corruption. The instability in the country has become a prominent issue within the European Union, as the rise of pro-Russian elements in Bulgarian politics and society threaten the unity of the EU with regard to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, particularly considering Bulgaria's strategic geographical location on the Black Sea.

The 2023 Bulgarian General Election

Boyko Borisov's GERB Party emerged as the strongest party from the elections on the second of April, with an increase of two seats from October 2022. Along with the most recent governing party, We Continue the Change (who merged with Democratic Bulgaria prior to the election), they now make up a majority of the seats in the parliament. Whether the two blocs will be able to successfully form a grand coalition to rule the country will be the subject of intense coalition negotiations, with the issue of Borisov's recent arrest on corruption charges making this outcome unlikely. With the pro-Russia and strongly Eurosceptic Revival Party increasing its seat share from 27 to 37 seats, there will be strong pressure from the EU to avoid another election, which could allow the far-right and pro-Russian elements to make further gains.