Rumen Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria finished first in all three Sofia multi-member constituencies, according to Central Election Commission results reported by Novinite, with 100% of protocols processed in the capital.
That is a notable result in a city usually seen as more hospitable terrain for pro-European, centre-right and reformist parties after the 19 April parliamentary vote.
What the official Sofia results show
In Sofia’s 25th MIR, which includes Lyulin, Nadezhda, Ovcha Kupel, Krasna Polyana, Bankya and Ilinden, Progressive Bulgaria won 41.97% of the vote.
That put it well ahead of PP-DB on 17.69%.
In the 24th MIR, covering parts of central Sofia and north-western districts including Poduene, Oborishte and Kremikovtsi, the party again came first with 35%, followed by PP-DB on 26.5%.
The closest race was in the 23rd MIR, covering southern central Sofia and districts including Lozenets, Krasno Selo, Mladost, Vitosha, Izgrev and Pancharevo.
There, Progressive Bulgaria led with 32.56%, while PP-DB was close behind on 31.52%.
Why this stands out
A sweep of all three Sofia MIRs matters because the capital is usually treated as a rough guide to Bulgaria’s urban political mood. Winning one constituency can be explained away. Winning all three is rather harder to shrug off.
The margins also varied sharply across the city:
- 25th MIR: a commanding lead
- 24th MIR: a solid advantage
- 23rd MIR: a very narrow edge
That last point matters. Sofia did not suddenly become politically uniform overnight. It still looks like several electorates sharing the same postcode arguments.
What the results do not tell us
The official constituency figures show who won and by how much. They do not by themselves explain exactly which demographic groups delivered the shift in Sofia.
Separate reporting and survey-based analysis published elsewhere in Bulgaria has pointed to backing from younger voters and from people frustrated with established political players, including a strong anti-Peevski mood. But that is broader context, not part of the official Sofia constituency count cited here.
So the safest conclusion is the narrow one: Progressive Bulgaria won convincingly in Sofia overall, but the full social map of that win is not contained in these election figures alone.
The close race in the 23rd MIR
The 23rd MIR result is especially likely to draw attention because the margin was so small: 32.56% to 31.52%.
There is no confirmed dispute in the reporting cited here. Even so, close contests often attract more scrutiny, more objections and the usual post-election throat-clearing. At the time of publication, no formal challenge was set out in the report.
Sofia is clear; the overseas picture was still provisional
The distinction here is important.
The Sofia results cited above were reported with 100% of protocols processed.
By contrast, separate reporting said Progressive Bulgaria was also leading among Bulgarian voters abroad, but that overseas tally was based on 92.70% of sectional protocols processed, not a complete final count.
In short:
- Sofia: fully processed in the reporting cited here
- Overseas vote: still incomplete at 92.70%
That does not erase the broader trend, but it does mean readers should not treat the two datasets as equally final.
Why Brits in Sofia may care
Most British residents in Bulgaria cannot vote in Bulgarian parliamentary elections unless they also hold Bulgarian citizenship. They can, however, feel the consequences soon enough.
If this result feeds into a messy or prolonged government-formation process, the effects for foreigners living in Sofia are usually practical rather than dramatic:
- slower administration for businesses dealing with permits, registrations or compliance questions
- less policy clarity for employers making hiring or investment decisions
- greater uncertainty around priorities affecting transport, planning and public services in the capital
- more political noise around Bulgaria’s direction in Europe and the region
For British business owners, freelancers, property buyers and longer-term residents, that matters. A capital city result does not decide every policy question, but it does help show where political momentum has moved.
There is also a wider UK angle, albeit one that should be handled carefully. Bulgaria’s domestic political balance can shape its tone on European cooperation, trade conditions and regional security issues. This report does not establish what policy changes would follow from the Sofia vote alone, and coalition arithmetic may yet make fools of confident predictions — as it often does.
What happens next
Winning Sofia strengthens Progressive Bulgaria’s political claim after the election. It does not on its own settle who governs Bulgaria or how durable any government would be.
That depends on coalition talks, parliamentary numbers and whether this election result can be turned into something more lasting than a very strong night at the count.
For now, the confirmed point is straightforward: Progressive Bulgaria came first in all three Sofia constituencies, with its strongest showing in the 25th MIR and its narrowest lead in the 23rd.