site.btaSeven Parliamentary Elections in Three Years: How Much Do They Cost?

At the end of October, Bulgarian voters will again go to the polls to vote for Members of Parliament, this time for the 51st National Assembly. These are the seventh parliamentary elections in a row, and the sixth early ones. Since the beginning of 2021, this country has spent nearly BGN 514,716,900 on holding parliamentary elections, including the funds for holding the regular presidential elections and the European Parliament vote in early June.

The cost of the vote so far 

For the vote on April 4, 2021 Bulgaria has spent BGN 65,649,500, for the election on July 11, 2021 – BGN 68,191,500. On November 14 of the same year, the presidential and general elections cost a total of BGN 123,964,200, and the snap elections on October 2, 2022 - BGN 71,044,500.

The parliamentary elections on April 2, 2023 cost BGN 87,687,800. The elections for Members of the European and Bulgarian Parliaments were held with a total funding of BGN 98,179,400.

The Spiral of Elections

After the regular elections for the National Assembly on April 4, 2021, GERB-UDF, There is such a People (TISP), the Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP for Bulgaria), the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), Democratic Bulgaria (DB), and Rise Up! entered Parliament. Due to the impossibility to reach a political consensus and form a parliamentary majority to elect a government, new early elections were scheduled for July 11. The formations that made it into the National Assembly were TISP, GERB-UDF, BSP, DB, MRF and Rise Up! Once again, the parties in Parliament failed to find common ground, and new parliamentary elections were held in November 2021. Continue the Change (CC), GERB-UDF, MRF, BSP, TISP, DB and Vazrazhdane cleared the 4-percent threshold this time around.  In December 2021, a political consensus was reached in Parliament and a government was elected, which survived until the end of June 2022, when it was ousted by a vote of no confidence. This led to new parliamentary elections on October 2, 2022, after which seven formations were represented in the National Assembly: GERB-UDF, CC, MRF, Vazrazhdane, BSP, DB and Bulgarian Rise. 

After the early parliamentary elections in April 2023, six formations entered the new Parliament: GERB-UDF, CC-DB (now a coalition), Vazrazhdane, MRF, BSP and TISP.  Just two months later, GERB-UDF and CC-DB agreed on a rotating cabinet. For the first nine months Nikolay Denkov (CC-DB) would be at the helm, and his only deputy prime minister would be Mariya Gabriel (GERB-UDF). In the second nine months, the two were to change their posts. 

Nine months later, when the time came for the rotation, Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov resigned, and Mariya Gabriel was expected to take the post. But after unsuccessful negotiations to form a cabinet between the two formations, three mandates were returned unfulfilled to President Radev: by GERB-UDF, by CC-DB, and by TISP. According to the changes in the Constitution, after no agreement has been reached on a government, the President, in consultation with the parliamentary groups and on the proposal of the candidate for caretaker prime minister, appoints a caretaker government and schedules new elections within two months. According to the amendments, the head of State may choose the caretaker prime minister from among the Chair of the National Assembly, the Governor or Deputy Governor of the Bulgarian National Bank (BNB), the President or Deputy President of the Court of Auditors, and the Ombudsman or their deputy.

The elections for Members of the European Parliament from Bulgaria and the early parliamentary elections were held on June 9, 2024. They were scheduled on the same date by President Rumen Radev's decree of April 9, by which he also appointed a caretaker government with Dimitar Glavchev as prime minister. Seven formations entered the 50th National Assembly - GERB-UDF, MRF, CC-DB, Vazrazhdane, BSP, TISP and newcomer Velichie.

Bulgarian citizens are to elect MPs again in October after the parliamentary formations failed to find a compromise in the 50th National Assembly and to elect a government. Once again, three unfulfilled mandates to form a government were returned to the President. Dimitar Glavchev, who served as caretaker prime minister, refused to take office for a second time. The head of State then elected deputy chair of the Chamber of Audit Goritsa Grancharova-Kozhareva as caretaker prime minister. After she presented to him the draft composition of the new caretaker cabinet, President Radev did not approve it because she refused to replace caretaker Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov.

This was followed again by talks with eligible candidates for caretaker prime minister. On Monday, the head of State met with Dimitar Glavchev, the designated candidate for caretaker prime minister, to present the structure and composition of a caretaker government. There are three changes in the cabinet - a new minister of foreign affairs, interior, and transport and communications. The next day Rumen Radev signed a decree appointing a caretaker government of the Republic of Bulgaria in the composition proposed by the PM-designate Glavchev. By another decree, the President scheduled early parliamentary elections for October 27, 2024.

The Turnout So Far

In April, 2021 turnout reached 50.61%, according to the Central Election Commission (CEC).

In the early parliamentary elections in July, 2021it dropped to 42.19%.

The presidential and general elections saw a turnout of 40.23%. 

In October, 2022 turnout was 39.41%.

In April, 2023 the turnout in the elections for MPs was 40.69%.

In the two-in-one vote for the European Parliament and early parliamentary elections, the turnout was 34.41%.