GERB-UDF win Bulgarian snap vote, three vying for runner-up - exit polls

The country's sixth vote for members of the 240-seat National Assembly in three years was held together with elections for members of European parliament.

Six parties crossed the 4% threshold for entry into Bulgaria's parliament, according to exit polls conducted by polling agencies Alpha Research and Gallup International Balkan, quoted by public television BNT.

As many formations will have representatives in the European Parliament, according to Gallup International Balkan, while according to Alpha Research only five formations will send MEPs.

The reformist coalition comprising We Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria (WCC-DB) won 15.7% of the vote for National Assembly, followed closely by staunchly nationalist and pro-Russian Vazrazhdane party with 14.5% of respondents, according to Alpha Research.

The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), which draws support mainly from Bulgarian ethnic Turk population, ranks fourth with 14.3%, according to Alpha Research. The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) follows with 9.1%.

According to Gallup International Balkan, WCC-DB is second with 15.5% support, followed by MRF with 15.1% and Vazrazhdane with 14.7%. The BSP is backed by 9.8%, according to the polling agency.

The populist party There is Such a People (TISP), led by musician and showman Slavi Trifonov, is the only other formation poised to cross the 4% threshold to enter parliament with 5.8%, according to Alpha Research and 6.4% according to Gallup International Balkan .

In the elections for European Parliament, GERB-UDF was backed by 26%, followed by some 16% for WCC-DB and some 15% for Vazrazhdane, according to the two polling agencies.

MRF garners 14% support, followed by 9% for BSP, according to Alpha Research. According to Gallup International Balkan, MRF was backed by 11.7%, BSP won 9.7% while TISP will have representatives in the European Parliament after wining 6.4%.

Bulgaria currently has 17 MEPs and will send the same number of representatives to the next European Parliament. To win a seat, political parties, coalitions or independent candidates must secure at least one-seventeenth of all valid votes.