RT.com
19 Apr 2026, 17:04 GMT+10
Informal exit polls suggest that Rumen Radev has defeated Boyko Borissov by more than 20 points
Former Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has defeated former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov by 21 points in Bulgaria's general election, according to preliminary exit polls.
With polling stations closed and the country's embargo on exit polls lifted, Radev's Progressive Bulgaria has won 37.5% of the vote, with Borissov's GERB-SDS in second place with 16.2%, according to Alpha Research.
Theelection is the country's eighth in five years, and is another flashpoint in the battle between pro-EU and sovereignist political forces in Europe. Borissov's party is aligned with Brussels' foreign policy, and he reassured voters on Sunday that his party gives "full support to Ukraine." Radev has vowed to balance relations between East and West, promising to build a "modern European Bulgaria," while developing "practical relations with Russia based on mutual respect."
Radev, who opposes EU aid to Ukraine, has vowed to break the stranglehold of the "oligarchic mafia" on Bulgaria, but whoever wins on Sunday will likely have to form a coalition to reach a majority in Bulgaria's National Assembly.
Borissov is the country's longest-serving prime minister, holding office between 2009 and 2021. Radev is a former fighter pilot who served as Bulgaria's president between 2017 and 2026. The pair publicly clashed during their overlapping stint in power, with Radev backing the 2020 anti-corruption protests that led to Borissov's downfall.
Just as it did in Hungary last weekend, and in France, Germany, Moldova, and Romania beforehand,the EU has activated its 'Rapid Response System'in Bulgaria. This suite of online censorship tools gives the European Commission the power to remove so-called "disinformation" from social media platforms during the election.
LIVE UPDATES BELOW
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of St Petersburg Star news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to St Petersburg Star.
More InformationWARSAW, Poland: With Poland partially suspending the right to seek asylum last year, Afghan migrants are facing a life of fear and...
The US president has renewed his threat to blow up every single Iranian power plant and bridge if it doesnt accept a fair and reasonable...
The Slovak leader has vowed to find an alternate route in order to pay respects to fallen Soviet and allied soldiers as he did last...
Rumen Radev and Boyko Borissov are competing in a vote that will shape Bulgarias relations with Brussels, Kiev, and Moscow Bulgaria's...
Rumen Radev and Boyko Borissov are competing in a vote that will shape Bulgarias relations with Brussels, Kiev, and Moscow Former...
Informal exit polls suggest that Rumen Radev has defeated Boyko Borissov by more than 20 points Former Bulgarian President Rumen...
LONDON, U.K.: The war in Iran has erased more than US$50 billion in global oil output in less than two months, creating one of the...
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A deepening jet fuel crunch linked to the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is raising fears...
SEATTLE, Washington: The Chinese government is asking travelers to avoid entering the United States through Seattle, citing a pattern...
LONDON, U.K.: On April 17, Opposition politicians renewed their demands for the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, to resign after...
JERUSALEM/BEIRUT: After many hours of sirens in northern Israel mid-week, people felt an unusual calm later in the week as the ceasefire...
ANNANDALE, Virginia: Virginia's former lieutenant governor, Justin Fairfax, once seen as a rising Democratic leader before sexual assault...
