The elections are over.
The results will be discussed from now on for many days.
[update] The Bulgarian Socialist Party, the Movement for Rights and Freedom (known as DPS, or the party of the Bulgarian Turkish population), and the newly established party of the Sofia mayor Boyko Borissov have each gained approx. 21 % of the votes. Fourth is the nationalistic party “Ataka“, with about 14 %, and about 6 % go to the party NDSV of the ex-prime minister, and ex-king of Bulgaria Simeon Saxe Koburg Gotha. All other right, centrist and left parties couldn’t make it to the required minimum to send even one MEP.
International Herald Tribune published a large article about the elections (but not quite precise one!) . New York Times also reported on the elections.
Borrisov seems the biggest loser of the elecitons, as he was expecting to get more votes, but aparantly the relations between him and the local Bulgarian mafia, described in the Congressional Quarterly Reveiw earlier this year have been noticed by the voters. The article, “Bush’s Bulgarian Partner in the Terror War Has Mob History, Investigators Say” was published in March 2007. The reaction to it is described at the bottom of this page.
I think the result of the elections shows that the 3-party coaltion (BSP, NDSV, DPS) is very stable, and will continue to keep the parliamentary majority (which is big enough for constitutional changes). As the leader of the DPS, Ahmed Dogan said, they are not going to ask for a change in the 3-party coalition agreement, and will continue to work in the formula, created in 2005, that is 3-5-8 (3 cabinet seats for DPS, 5 for NDSV, 8 for BSP). Hopefully, they will also spend some time in thinking what to make better, in order to improve the results from the last 2 years. Currently Bulgaria has lowest unemployment ever – about 8 %, 2006 was the year with highest foreign investments – about $ 5 billion. Corporate tax in 2007 is already at EU lowest level of 10 %.