2023 Bulgarian local elections

2023 Bulgarian local elections

← 2019 29 October and 5 November 2023 Next →
 
Party GERB PP-DB BSP
Provincial Mayoralities 12 4 4
Provincial Mayoralities +/– Decrease 5 Increase4 Steady

 
Party DPS ITN Others
Provincial Mayoralities 1 1 5
Provincial Mayoralities +/– Steady Increase1 Steady

Local elections in Bulgaria were held on 29 October 2023.[1] Mayors and municipal councillors across the country were elected.[2]

Electoral system

The elections to Bulgaria's municipal councils are conducted via proportional representation with an open list preferential voting system.

The mayoral elections take place within the context of a majoritarian two-round system. The first round of the elections will be held on 29 October. If no candidate in a given constituency manages to gain 50% of the vote, a runoff election will be held for that constituency in the second round on 5 November.[3]

Voting is officially mandatory, but in practice there is no punishment for failing to vote and the law itself isn't strictly enforced.[4]

Voters further have the option to vote against all proposed candidates.[5]

Contesting parties

Name Ideology Position Leader(s) 2023 result
Votes (%) Seats
BND Bulgarian New Democracy Conservative liberalism Centre-right Valery Timov DNP
0 / 240
Svoboda Freedom Bulgarian nationalism Right-wing Vladimir Simenov DNP
0 / 240
Zelenite Party of the Greens  [bg] Green Politics
Anti-corruption
Syncretic Vladimir Nikolov Together (BG) [bg]
0 / 240
DD Direct democracy Direct democracy Syncretic Petar Klisarov [bg] DNP
0 / 240
DnG Movement for Our Cities Local politics Centre Atanas Kalchev DNP
0 / 240
Volya Volya Bulgarian nationalism
Right-wing populism
Right-wing Veselin Mareshki DNP
0 / 240
Revival Revival Ultranationalism
Russophilia
Far-right Kostadin Kostadinov 13.58
37 / 240
NDPS "National Movement for Rights and Freedoms" [bg] Turkish Minority interests Centre Gyuner Tahir [bg] DNP
0 / 240
Euroma Euroroma Romani Minority interests Centre Tsvetalin Kanchev DNP
0 / 240
BSD Bulgarian Social Democrats Social democracy Centre-left Georgi Atanasov

Mariya Dobreva

DNP
0 / 240
BSDE Bulgarian Social Democracy -Euro Left Social democracy Centre-left Aleksandar Tomov 0.10
0 / 240
SDS Union of Democratic Forces Christian democracy
Conservatism
Centre-right Rumen Hristov (GERB-SDS)
2 / 240
KOD Conservative Union of the Right National conservatism
Right-wing populism
Right-wing Petar Moskov 0.29
0 / 240
ONB "Society for a New Bulgaria" [bg] National conservatism Right-wing Margarit Mitsev DNP
0 / 240
OBT United Block for Labour [bg] Social democracy
Labourism
Centre-left Yekaterina Atanasova DNP
0 / 240
Pravoto "Pravoto" [bg] Anti-corruption
Russophilia
Syncretic Mariya Koleva DNP
0 / 240
BDS-R Bulgarian Democratic Union-Radicals National conservatism Right-wing Tsvetan Manchev DNP
0 / 240
Georges Day George's Day Movement National conservatism
Right-wing populism
Right-wing Dragomir Stefanov (GERB-SDS)
1 / 240
PDS Political Movement "Social Democrats" Social democracy Center-left Yelena Noneva DNP
0 / 240
ZS "AS" Agrarian Union "Aleksandar Stamboliyski" Social democracy
Agrarianism
Center-left Spas Panchev [bg] (Levitsata!)
0 / 240
OZ United Agrarians Liberal conservatism
Agrarianism
Center-right Petya Stavreva (PP-DB)
0 / 240
NI! We are Coming! Anti-corruption Syncretic Nikolay Hadjigenov
Armyan Babikyan [bg]
DNP
0 / 240
BV Bulgarian Rise National conservatism Syncretic Stefan Yanev 2.93
0 / 240
KB Conservative Bulgaria National conservatism Right-wing Boris Yachev DNP
0 / 240
BPL Bulgarian Progressive Line Democratic Socialism Left-wing Krasimir Yankov [bg] (Levitsata!)
0 / 240
BG Bulgarian Voice Anti-corruption
Right-wing populism
Syncretic Georgi Popov DNP
0 / 240
MIR "MIR" [bg] Left-wing nationalism Center-left Simeon Slavchov  [bg] 0.10
0 / 240
GN Peoples Voice Right-wing populism Right wing Svetoslav Vitkov 0.21
0 / 240
DPS Movement for Rights and Freedoms Turkish minority interests
Liberalism
Centre Mustafa Karadaya 13.58
36 / 240
Velichie Greatness Anti-corruption Syncretic Albena Peskova DNP
0 / 240
VMRO VMRO-BNM

National conservatism
Bulgarian nationalism

Right-wing to far-right Angel Dzhambazki DNP
0 / 240
BSDP BSDP Social democracy Centre-left Yordan Nihrizov [bg] DNP
0 / 240
BZNS BZNS Agrarianism Centre Iliya Zyumbulev DNP
0 / 240
SDP "Social Democratic Party" [bg] Social democracy Centre-left Todor Barobolov [bg] Together (Bulgaria) [bg]
0 / 240
SP Socialist Party "Bulgarian Way" [bg] Socialism
Left-wing nationalism
Far-Left Angel Dimov [bg] 0.03
0 / 240
SSD Union of Free Democrats Conservatism Centre-right Milan Lilanov DNP
0 / 240
DNB Movement "Forward Bulgaria" Conservatism Syncretic Zoritsa Atanasova DNP
0 / 240
ATAKA Ataka Bulgarian nationalism
Russophilia
Far-Right Volen Siderov (Neutral Bulgaria)
0 / 240
BDF Bulgarian Democratic Forum [bg] Conservatism Centre-right Zhaklin Toleva DNP
0 / 240
ITN There is Such a People Conservatism
Right-wing populism
Right-wing Slavi Trifonov 4.11
11 / 240
NV "New Time" [bg] Liberalism Centre Miroslav Sevelievski DNP
0 / 240
DDD-DZ Movement of Democratic Action Liberal conservatism Centre-right Stefan Ivanov DNP
0 / 240
SBOR "SBOR" [bg] Syncretic Politics Syncretic Dimitar Iliev Together (Bulgaria) [bg]
0 / 240
DBG Bulgaria for Citizens Movement Liberal conservatism Centre to Centre-right Jordan Yordanov [bg] DNP
0 / 240
GERB GERB Conservatism
Populism
Centre-right Boyko Borisov 26.9
67 / 240
NDSV National Movement for Stability and Progress Liberalism Centre Stanimir Ilchev 0.27
0 / 240
SPS "Zashita" Union of Patriotic Forces "Defense" Bulgarian nationalism Right-wing Petar Beron DNP
0 / 240
Edinstvo National Movement "Unity" [bg] Liberal conservatism Center-right Nikolay Ivanov DNP
0 / 240
RZS Order, Law and Justice Right-wing populism Right-wing Yane Yanev DNP
0 / 240
ZNS Agrarian People's Union Agrarianism Centre-right Rumen Yonchev [bg] DNP
0 / 240
BUDD Bulgarian Union for Direct Democracy [bg] Direct democracy Syncretic Georgi Nedelchev 0.10
0 / 240
SEK Middle European Class Liberal conservatism Center-right Konstantin Bachiyski PP-DB
1 / 240
"Citizens for the Communities" Bulgarian Workers-Peasants Party Communism
Marxism-Leninism
Far-Left Georgi Georgiev
Yordan Maldzhanski
DNP
0 / 240
Competency, Responsibility, Truth [bg] Euroscepticism
Populism
Syncretic Svetozar Suev [bg] Out of EU and NATO [bg]
"Together for Strong Communities" Republicans for Bulgaria Conservative liberalism Center-right Tsvetan Tsvetanov DNP
0 / 240
"Green Union" Green Politics Center DNP
Levitsata! Stand Up.BG Social liberalism
Social democracy
Center-left Maya Manolova 2.23
0 / 240
Alternative for Bulgarian Revival Social democracy
Moderate social conservatism
Center-left Rumen Petkov
ex-BSP faction Social democracy Center-left Kostadin Paskalev [bg]
Valeri Zheblyan [bg]
Movement 21 Social democracy Center-left Tatyana Doncheva
Neutral Bulgaria Russophiles for the
Revival of the Fatherland
Russophilia
National conservatism
Syncretic Nikolay Malinov [bg] 0.42
0 / 240
Communist Party of Bulgaria Communism
Marxism-Leninism
Far-left Aleksandar Paunov
Bulgarian Communist Party [bg] Communism
Left-wing nationalism
Far-left Zonka Spasova
Party of the Bulgarian Communists Communism
Marxism–Leninism
Far-left Collective leadership
New Force Bulgarian nationalism Far-right Collective leadership
"Bulgaria of the Regions" New Bulgaria [bg] Anti-corruption Center Ivaylo Simeonov [bg] DNP
0 / 240
NPPB Local politics of Haskovo DNP
BSP for Bulgaria Bulgarian Socialist Party Social democracy
Social conservatism
Center-left Korneliya Ninova 8.93
23 / 240
Ecoglasnost Green politics Center-left Emil Georgiev [bg]
Political Club "Trakiya" [bg] Southern Bulgarian regionalism
Left-wing nationalism
Center-left Stefan Nachev
Alternative for the Citizens Green Party Green politics Center-left Mariya Dragomiretskaya DNP
0 / 240
Bulgarian Left Democratic socialism Left-wing Collective leadership
Unified Social-Democracy [bg] Social-democracy Center-left Yordan Gergov
Movement for Social Humanism Social-democracy Center-left Tsevtan Minkyovski
PP-DB We Continue the Change Liberalism
Anti-corruption
Center Kiril Petkov
Asen Vasilev
24.56
63 / 240
Volt Bulgaria Eurofederalism Center Nastimir Ananiev
Yes, Bulgaria! Economic liberalism
Anti-corruption
Center-right Hristo Ivanov
Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria Liberal conservatism
Atlanticism
Center-right Atanas Atanasov
Green Movement Green politics
Green liberalism
Centrist Vladislav Panev

Local parties & coalitions

Name Location Ideology
Leader(s)
Unification for Plovdiv Bulgarian Cause Plovdiv Local politics Georgi Tityukov
New Leaders Plovdiv Local politics
Direct democracy
RzSR Development for Septemvri and the Region Septemvri Local politics Radoslav Lyutakov
SzP Union for Plovdiv Plovdiv Local politics
Liberal conservatism
Yevelin Paraskov
Veselin Kozarev
BzR Future of the Motherland Stara Zagora Local politics Stanislav Popov
DzPP Movement for the Prosperity of Pernik Pernik Local politics Stanislav Vladimirov
SS Spasi Sofia Sofia Local politics
Anti-corruption
Boris Bonev [bg]
MORE More Nesebar Local politics
Rural interests
Peycho Kolev

Mayorship of Sofia

The election for the position of Mayor of Sofia, Bulgaria's capital and largest city, is expected to be hotly contested and will result in a new mayor being elected, as incumbent mayor Yordanka Fandakova from GERB has announced she will not seek re-election.

Opinion polls for Mayor of Sofia

Polling firm Fieldwork date Sample Vasil Terziev Anton Hekimyan Dean Nikolov Vanya Grigorova Vili Lilkov Others None of
the above
Lead
PP DB SS GERB SDS Revival BSP Levitsata!
ЕСТАТ 29.09-9.10 2023 800 27.8 18.7 20.6 6.4 7.2
CAM 21–25 Jul 2023 1,212 33.4 22.7 12.0 10.6 4.8 7.9 2.7 10.7

Results

First round

According to Central Election Commission the number of people who voted on 29 October totaled 2,713,979 or 44.94% of eligible voters. The turnout was 49.76% in the 2019 local elections. The invalid ballots in the 29 October, 2023 elections totaled over half a million, including 412,711 ballots for municipal councilors, 94,195 for municipality mayor (down from 128,204 in 2019) and 34,235 for mayoralty mayor.[6]

In general, GERB had the strongest showing throughout the country, although the party failed to make it to the second round in the capital.[7]

Second round

Overall, GERB won 11 regional towns, PP–DB won four, and the Bulgarian Socialist party won three. Of the largest four cities, PP-DB won in the capital (Sofia) and Varna while GERB won in Plovdiv and Burgas.[8]


Sofia

Popular vote (Sofia City Council)
We Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria
34.3%
GERB-UDF
19.9%
Bulgarian Socialist Party-Levitsata!
13.9%
Revival
11.1%
Blue Sofia-KOD
4.7%
ITN
4.5%
VMRO
1.8%
Others
9.8%
Popular vote (Mayor of Sofia) - First Round
Vasil Terziev
31.8%
Vanya Grigorova
21.6%
Anton Hekimyan
17.8%
Dean Nikolov
7.7%
Vili Lilkov
5.7%
Ivaylo Valchev
3.2%
Radostin Vassilev
2.5%
Others
9.7%
Popular vote (Mayor of Sofia) - Second Round
Vasil Terziev
48.2%
Vanya Grigorova
46.9%
Against all
4.9%

References

  1. ^ staff, The Sofia Globe (2023-07-31). "Bulgaria to hold 2023 municipal and mayoral elections on October 29". The Sofia Globe. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  2. ^ "Bulgaria's President set a Date for this year's Local Elections - Novinite.com - Sofia News Agency". www.novinite.com. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
  3. ^ "Местни избори 2019: Права и задължения". bgnes. 2019-09-27. Retrieved 2019-10-24.
  4. ^ "Конституционният съд отмени санкцията за задължителното гласуване - България". dariknews.bg (in Bulgarian). Retrieved 2019-10-21.
  5. ^ "Централна избирателна комисия - Често Задавани Въпроси". www.cik.bg. Retrieved 2019-10-24.
  6. ^ https://www.bta.bg/en/news/bulgaria/560753-over-2-7-million-voters-and-half-million-invalid-ballots-in-oct-29-elections
  7. ^ Service, RFE/RL's Bulgarian. "Pro-West Grouping Looks Set To Win Sofia Mayoral Race, While GERB Strong Elsewhere". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 2023-11-06.
  8. ^ "BSP may challenge Sofia mayoral election results in court". bnr.bg. Retrieved 2023-11-06.