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| Turnout | 56.28% (first round) 50.44% (second round) | |||||||||||||||||||
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 Results by province Radev: 50-60% 60-70% 70-80% | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Presidential elections were held in Bulgaria on 6 November 2016, [1] alongside a referendum on changes to the electoral system and political party funding. The second round was held on 13 November 2016, resulting in the victory of Rumen Radev.
The President of Bulgaria is elected using the two-round system. [2] For the first time, voters were allowed to vote for none of the above. [3]
The incumbent President, Rosen Plevneliev, announced in May 2016 that he would not be running for re-election. [4]
| Presidential candidate | Born | Vice presidential running-mate | Party | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Maj.Gen. Rumen Radev | 18 June 1963 (age 53) Town Dimitrovgrad, Region Haskovo, Bulgaria | Iliana Iotova | Independent supported by Bulgarian Socialist Party | General Radev, the former commander of the Bulgarian Air Force, [5] is supported by the Bulgarian Socialist Party and was originally endorsed by the Alternative for Bulgarian Revival, but on 23 August 2016 the Bulgarian Socialist Party denied plans for a common coalition for the presidential elections. [6] Iotova is an MP in the European Parliament. |
 Tsetska Tsacheva | 24 May 1958 (age 58) Village Dragana, Municipality Ugarchin, Region Lovech, Bulgaria | Plamen Manushev | GERB | Tsacheva is the incumbent Chairwoman of the National Assembly of Bulgaria. [7] Manushev is MP. |
 Krasimir Karakachanov | 29 March 1965 (age 51) Rousse, Bulgaria | Yavor Notev | United Patriots | Karachanov is co-chairman of the Patriotic Front and a Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly. [8] Notev is the Deputy Chair of the Attack party and a Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly. |
 Traycho Traykov | 19 April 1970 (age 46) Sofia, Bulgaria | Sabi Sabev | Reformist Bloc | Traykov is the former Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism and is currently a municipal councilor in Sofia. [9] Sabev is a general in the Bulgarian army. |
 Ivaylo Kalfin | 30 May 1964 (age 52) Sofia, Bulgaria | Lyubomir Halachev | Kalfin President Coalition | Kalfin is a Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Former Minister of Labour and Social Policy, as well as the BSP presidential candidate in the 2011 election. [10] |
| Tatyana Doncheva | 28 January 1960 (age 56) Tryavna, Bulgaria | Mincho Spasov | Movement 21 National Movement for Stability and Progress | Doncheva is a jurist and a former MP; [11] Spasov is a jurist and former MP. |
 Plamen Oresharski | 21 February 1960 (age 56) Dupnitsa, Bulgaria | Danail Papazov | Independent supported by Movement for Rights and Freedoms | Oresharski is a former Prime Minister of Bulgaria; [12] Papazov is a former minister of Transport. |
| George Ganchev | 29 August 1939 (age 77) Plovdiv, Bulgaria | Kolyo Paramov | Christian Social Union | Ganchev is a former MP and three-time presidential candidate. [13] Paramov is an economist and former MP. |
| Velizar Enchev | 7 January 1953 (age 63) Galabovo, Bulgaria | Bilyana Grancharova | Movement for Radical Change Bulgarian Spring | Enchev is an independent MP; [14] Grancharova is a jurist. |
Veselin Mareshki | 26 March 1967 (age 49) Varna, Bulgaria | Petar Petrov | Independent | Mareshki is a businessman. [15] |
| Dimitar Marinov | 15 August 1955 (age 61) Karaisen, Bulgaria | Radoslav Petrov (aka Rado Shisharkata) | Bulgarian National Unification | Marinov (known as Mityo The Pistol) is a popular entertainer and reality show star, having appeared in VIP Brother 1 , a spinoff of the Big Brother franchise; [16] Petrov (known as Rado the Fircone) is a pop-folk singer. |
| Vladimir Kuzov | 16 June 1966 (age 50) Sofia, Bulgaria | Borislav Noev | Independent | Kuzov and Noev are former MPs from the union around the Attack party; [17] Their registration in the elections was denied due to insufficient number of signatures gathered. [18] |
 Aleksandar Tomov | 27 April 1954 (age 62) Sofia, Bulgaria | Radoslav Radoslavov | Bulgarian Socialdemocratic-Euroleft | Tomov is a businessman. |
| Gospodin Tonev | 29 November 1955 (age 60) Dimitrovgrad, Bulgaria | Andrey Andreev | Bulgarian Democratic Community | |
| Kamen Popov | Bulgaria | Georgi Nedelchev | Independent | Popov is a businessman, sportsman. Popov struck the leader of Attack party Volen Siderov. [19] |
| Svetoslav Vitkov | 26 January 1971 (age 45) Sofia, Bulgaria | Ivan Velkov | Independent supported by People's Voice The Greens | Vitkov is a musician, and a municipal councilor in Sofia; [20] Velkov is a Deputy Chairman of the municipal councilor in Sofia. Their registration in the elections was denied due to insufficient number of signatures gathered. [18] |
| Kemil Ramadan | Bulgaria | Momchil Dobrev | Balkanic Democratic League | |
| Nikolay Banev | 16 August 1959 (age 57) Lyubimets, Bulgaria | Sali Ibrayim | Independent | Banev is a businessman; [21] Ibrayim is a former mayor of Momchilgrad. |
| Biser Milanov | Bulgaria | Krasimir Nastev | Independent | Milanov is a recidivist; [22] Nastev is a businessman. |
| Diana Dimitrova | Bulgaria | Gabriel Gerasimov | Independent | |
| Yordanka Koleva | Bulgaria | Veselin Hristov | Independent | |
| Plamen Paskov | Bulgaria | Svetozar Saev | Independent | |
| Rumen Galabinov | Bulgaria | Veska Voleva | Independent |
| Candidate | Born | Party | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 President Rosen Plevneliev | 14 May 1964 (age 52) Town Gotse Delchev, Region Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria | Independent | [23] |
 Prime Minister Boyko Borisov | 13 June 1959 (age 57) Town Bankya, Region Sofia, Bulgaria | GERB | Endorsed Tsetska Tsacheva [24] |
| Pollster | Date | Radev | Tsacheva | Karakachanov | Mareshki | Oresharski | Traykov | Kalfin | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Links[ permanent dead link ] | 4 October 2016 | 14.9 | 19.8 | 7.9 | – | 1.1 | 4.5 | 5.4 | 46.4 |
| Mediana[ permanent dead link ] | 8 October 2016 | 18 | 25.4 | 9.9 | 3.2 | 1.3 | 4.2 | 6.1 | 31.9 |
| Gallup International[ permanent dead link ] | 12 October 2016 | 15.1 | 19.2 | 7.2 | 4.7 | 1.3 | 5.2 | 4.9 | 42.4 |
| Alpha Research[ permanent dead link ] | 13 October 2016 | 21.4 | 29.3 | 8.7 | 3.3 | 0.5 | 5.0 | 6.8 | 25 |
| TSAM[ permanent dead link ] | 22 October 2016 | 22 | 32 | 9.1 | 5.3 | 2.8 | 5.6 | 6.3 | 16.9 |
| IMP[ permanent dead link ] | 22 October 2016 | 21.1 | 26.6 | 9.7 | – | 1.8 | 4.9 | 8.6 | 27.3 |
| Gallup International[ permanent dead link ] | 25 October 2016 | 16.3 | 20.2 | 8.1 | 5 | 3.8 | 5.2 | 5.3 | 36.1 |
| Market Links[ permanent dead link ] | 30 October 2016 | 18.1 | 19.4 | 8.5 | 4.3 | 2.2 | 3.8 | 3.5 | 40.2 |
| Online Solutions[ permanent dead link ] | 3 November 2016 | 18 | 19 | 16 | – | – | – | 15 | 32 |
| Barometre Bulgaria[ permanent dead link ] | 3 November 2016 | 14.4 | 19.3 | 19.1 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.6 | 4.2 | 29.2 |
| Pollster | Date | Radev | Tsacheva | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gallup International[ permanent dead link ] | 12 October 2016 | 29.6 | 26.4 | 44 |
| Alpha Research[ permanent dead link ] | 13 October 2016 | 31.3 | 32.6 | 36.1 |
| Sova Harris[ permanent dead link ] | 15 October 2016 | 37.8 | 38.7 | 23.5 |
| TSAM[ permanent dead link ] | 22 October 2016 | 41 | 43 | 16 |
| Gallup International[ permanent dead link ] | 25 October 2016 | 32.1 | 31.3 | 36.6 |
| Market Links[ permanent dead link ] | 30 October 2016 | 30.7 | 25 | 44.3 |
| Mediana[ permanent dead link ] | 31 October 2016 | 37.2 | 36.2 | 26.6 |
| Pollster | Date | Radev | Karakachanov | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Links[ permanent dead link ] | 30 October 2016 | 27.2 | 26.1 | 46.7 |
| Pollster | Date | Tsacheva | Karakachanov | Others |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alpha Research[ permanent dead link ] | 13 October 2016 | 31.3 | 25.1 | 43.4 |
| Candidate | Running mate | Party | First round | Second round | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Votes | % | Votes | % | ||||
| Rumen Radev | Iliana Iotova | Independent (Bulgarian Socialist Party) | 973,754 | 25.44 | 2,063,032 | 59.37 | |
| Tsetska Tsacheva | Plamen Manushev | GERB | 840,635 | 21.96 | 1,256,485 | 36.16 | |
| Krasimir Karakachanov | Yavor Notev | United Patriots | 573,016 | 14.97 | |||
| Veselin Mareshki | Petar Petrov | Independent | 427,660 | 11.17 | |||
| Plamen Oresharski | Danail Papazov | Independent | 253,726 | 6.63 | |||
| Traycho Traykov | Sabi Sabev | Reformist Bloc | 224,734 | 5.87 | |||
| Ivailo Kalfin | Lyubomir Halachev | Alternative for Bulgarian Revival | 125,531 | 3.28 | |||
| Tatyana Doncheva | Mincho Spasov | Movement 21–NDSV | 69,372 | 1.81 | |||
| George Ganchev | Kolyo Paramov | Christian Social Union | 27,928 | 0.73 | |||
| Velizar Enchev | Bilyana Grancharova | Movement for Radical Change Bulgarian Spring | 18,213 | 0.48 | |||
| Dimitar Marinov | Radoslav Petrov | Bulgarian National Unification | 14,974 | 0.39 | |||
| Rumen Galabinov | Veska Voleva | Independent | 10,286 | 0.27 | |||
| Plamen Paskov | Svetozar Saev | Independent | 10,103 | 0.26 | |||
| Aleksandar Tomov | Radoslav Radoslavov | Bulgarian Social Democracy–EuroLeft | 9,513 | 0.25 | |||
| Gospodin Tonev | Andrey Andreev | Bulgarian Democratic Community | 6,855 | 0.18 | |||
| Kemil Ramadan | Momchil Dobrev | Balkanic Democratic League | 6,089 | 0.16 | |||
| Kamen Popov | Georgi Nedelchev | Independent | 5,212 | 0.14 | |||
| Diana Dimitrova | Gabriel Gerasimov | Independent | 4,362 | 0.11 | |||
| Nikolay Banev | Sali Ibrayim | Independent | 4,196 | 0.11 | |||
| Yordanka Koleva | Veselin Hristov | Independent | 4,182 | 0.11 | |||
| Biser Milanov | Krasimir Nastev | Independent | 3,215 | 0.08 | |||
| None of the above | 214,094 | 5.59 | 155,411 | 4.47 | |||
| Total | 3,827,650 | 100.00 | 3,474,928 | 100.00 | |||
| Valid votes | 3,827,650 | 96.96 | 3,474,928 | 98.14 | |||
| Invalid/blank votes | 119,925 | 3.04 | 66,036 | 1.86 | |||
| Total votes | 3,947,575 | 100.00 | 3,540,964 | 100.00 | |||
| Registered voters/turnout | 7,014,723 | 56.28 | 7,020,119 | 50.44 | |||
| Source: Electoral Commission of Bulgaria | |||||||
Gallup exit polling suggested the following demographic breakdown.
| Voter Demographics [25] | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Social group | % Radev | % Tsacheva | % Karakachanov | % Mareshki | % Oresharski | % Traykov | % Kalfin | % Others | % Lead |
| Exit Poll Result | 26 | 22 | 15 | 11 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 9 | 4 |
| Final Result | 25.4 | 22.0 | 15.0 | 11.2 | 6.6 | 5.9 | 3.3 | 10.5 | 3.4 |
| Gender | |||||||||
| Men | 26 | 21 | 16 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 9 | 5 |
| Women | 27 | 23 | 14 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 4 | 10 | 4 |
| Age | |||||||||
| 18–30 | 19 | 20 | 11 | 15 | 7 | 10 | 3 | 15 | 1 |
| 30-60 | 23 | 23 | 15 | 11 | 6 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 0 |
| 60+ | 39 | 21 | 17 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 18 |
| Highest Level of Education | |||||||||
| Lower Education | 29 | 24 | 8 | 10 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 9 | 5 |
| Secondary Education | 24 | 23 | 16 | 12 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 10 | 1 |
| Higher Education | 28 | 20 | 15 | 9 | 2 | 12 | 4 | 10 | 8 |
| Ethnic Group | |||||||||
| Bulgarian - 88% | 28 | 22 | 17 | 11 | 1 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Turkish - 9% | 7 | 19 | 1 | 13 | 44 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 25 |
| Roma - 3% | 27 | 36 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 7 | 9 |
| Location | |||||||||
| Towns and Villages | 25 | 25 | 11 | 9 | 18 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| Smaller Cities | 29 | 24 | 18 | 12 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Larger Cities | 27 | 21 | 16 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 12 | 6 |
| Sofia | 24 | 20 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 16 | 5 | 12 | 4 |
Following the results of the second round, Prime Minister and GERB leader Boiko Borisov tendered his resignation. [26] Two days later, on 16 November, the National Assembly voted 218–0 to accept it, resulting in early parliamentary elections. [27]
Rosen Asenov Plevneliev is a Bulgarian politician who was the 4th President of Bulgaria, holding the position from January 2012 to January 2017. He was the Minister of Regional Development and Public Works from July 2009 to September 2011 as part of the cabinet of Boyko Borisov. In October 2011, Plevneliev was elected as President in a second round of voting; he was inaugurated on 18 January 2012.
Parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria on 12 May 2013, two months ahead of schedule. Protests had forced the resignation of the GERB government in February, leading to the election being moved up.
The 2013 Bulgarian protests against the first Borisov cabinet were civil demonstrations against high electricity and hot water bills resulting from monopolism in the sphere that began in Blagoevgrad on 28 January 2013, and subsequently spread to over 30 cities in Bulgaria that ended with the resignation of the Boyko Borisov government on 20 February 2013. They were caused by abnormally high electricity bills, but later turned into a mass non-partisan movement against the government and the political system. The events were marked by seven self-immolations, spontaneous demonstrations and a strong sentiment against political parties.
Boyko Metodiev Borisov is a Bulgarian politician who was a three-term Prime Minister of Bulgaria, serving from 2009 to 2013, 2014 to 2017, and 2017 to 2021, making him Bulgaria's second-longest serving Prime Minister to date. Despite leaving office, Borisov remained as the leader of the GERB party and later returned to politics by becoming a member of the National Assembly, which he is to this date.
Maya Bozhidarova Manolova is a Bulgarian politician and the leader of the political movement Stand Up.BG, part of the Stand Up! Mafia, get out! coalition. She was formerly the vice-chairperson as well as a deputy in the Bulgarian National Assembly, as well National Ombudsman of Bulgaria.
People's Voice is a political party in Bulgaria, founded by Svetoslav Vitkov in 2013.
Radan Milenov Kanev is a Bulgarian politician who was elected as a Member of the European Parliament from Bulgaria in the 2019 European Parliament election. He used to be one of the leading members of the Reformist Bloc.
Hristo Lyubomirov Ivanov is a Bulgarian politician and lawyer. He served as Minister of Justice in the Second Borisov Cabinet before resigning on 9 December 2015. He also served as deputy prime minister and justice minister in the caretaker government of Georgi Bliznashki between 6 August and 7 November 2014. In early 2017 he founded the Yes, Bulgaria! political party whose priorities include institutional reforms, including a reform of the justice system, and anti-corruption efforts.
Rumen Georgiev Radev is a Bulgarian politician and former major general who has been the president of Bulgaria since 22 January 2017.
Traycho Dimitrov Traykov is a Bulgarian politician. He was a Bulgarian Minister of Economy and Energy from 2009 to 2012. In February 2012 he launched an examination of dams in the south of the country after malfunction complaints. In March 2012 it was reported that he had been dismissed from his position allegedly for delaying work on energy projects; Bulgarian-language daily Bulgaria Dnes alleges that it was due to Belene Nuclear Power Plant specifically, a project which was terminated that month. Traykov himself "attributed the dismissal to his firm position in negotiations with Russia and his demands that Russia should cut the construction cost of the Belene plant, reduce gas prices by as much as 15 percent in a new supply contract and increase returns from the South Stream pipeline above 8 percent." He was succeeded by his former deputy, Delyan Dobrev.
Parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria on 26 March 2017. They had originally been scheduled for 2018 at the end of the four-year term of the National Assembly. However, following the resignation of Prime Minister Boyko Borisov and the failure of Bulgarian parties to form a government, early elections were called. Borisov resigned following the defeat of Tsetska Tsacheva, the candidate of his GERB party, in the November 2016 presidential elections. The official election campaign began on 24 February.
Peter Bojkov Vitanov is a Bulgarian politician and a former member of the Bulgarian Socialist Party who was elected as a Member of the European Parliament in 2019.
The 2020–2021 Bulgarian protests were a series of demonstrations that were being held in Bulgaria, mainly in the capital Sofia, as well as cities with a large Bulgarian diaspora, such as Brussels, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Berlin and London. The protest movement was the culmination of long-standing grievances against endemic corruption and state capture, particularly associated with prime minister Boyko Borisov's governments, in power since 2009.
We Continue the Change, sometimes translated as Change Continues, is a centrist, anti-corruption political party and formerly an electoral alliance in Bulgaria led by Kiril Petkov and Asen Vasilev, two former caretaker ministers. It was founded ahead of the November 2021 election. The party was officially registered on 15 April.
Galab Spasov Donev is a Bulgarian politician who served as the caretaker Prime Minister of Bulgaria from 2 August 2022 to 6 June 2023. He is the longest-serving caretaker prime minister in Bulgaria's history to date.
The GERB—SDS is a Bulgarian two-party political coalition headed by Boyko Borisov.
Parliamentary elections were held in Bulgaria on 2 April 2023 to elect members of the National Assembly. These were initially scheduled to be held before November 2026; however, as no government was approved by the 48th Parliament, Bulgarian President Rumen Radev announced in January 2023 that he would call a snap election.
The 2021–2023 Bulgarian political crisis was a period of instability in Bulgaria, which has seen the country face five elections over two years: April 2021, July 2021, November 2021, October 2022 and April 2023.
PP–DB is an electoral coalition between We Continue the Change and Democratic Bulgaria in Bulgaria. The two groups merged prior to the 2023 election.
The 2023 Sofia mayoral election was held on 29 October 2023, during the 2023 Bulgarian local elections.
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