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Local elections

On 29 October, 2023, Bulgarians are voting for local authorities – mayors and municipal councilors. A little over 6 million 48,000 people have the right to vote. In this section you will find information, commentaries and analyses about the local elections in Bulgaria. 

Plamen Tonchev

Supreme Administrative Court decision on machine voting expected

The parliamentary committee for control over the security services has held a hearing of chairman of the State Agency for National Security, Plamen Tonchev, about the canceled machine voting. The CEC made this decision on Friday evening - a day..

published on 10/30/23 6:37 PM
Kornelia Ninova

BSP seeks support for the second round of elections

There is Such a People (ITN) will support Vanya Grigorova, nominated by the united Left for mayor of Sofia. This was announced by BSP leader Kornelia Ninova on Facebook after a conversation with ITN leader Slavi Trifonov.  ITN's candidate for..

published on 10/30/23 3:41 PM

Majority elected mayors to govern with diverse councils

Two main questions dominated the first round of local elections. Will the cancellation of electronic voting just before the election lead to a voter mobilisation amid suspicions of a last-minute attempt to rig the vote? Will it lead to a change of..

published on 10/30/23 3:03 PM
Антон Хекимян

GERB's defeated Sofia mayoral candidate makes first comments

GERB-SDS mayoral candidate Anton Hekimyan has made his first comments after Sunday's municipal elections, in which he came third in the race for Sofia mayor.  "I thank all those who supported me and voted for me. I also respect the choice of..

published on 10/30/23 2:06 PM

Bulgaria's Vice President Iotova will visit Moldova for National Awakeners Day

Bulgaria's Vice President Iliana Iotova will visit Moldova .  On October 31, the vice president will discuss bilateral relations in education, science and culture  with the official authorities in Moldova. The topic will also be the preservation..

published on 10/30/23 10:55 AM

Voter turnout in the first round of Bulgaria's local elections is low

There will be a runoff of the the election for mayor in Sofia. The candidate of "We Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria" (PP-DB) and "Save Sofia" Vasil Terziev leads with 33 %. Vanya Grigorova, supported by the BSP, faces him with 21.1 percent...

updated on 10/30/23 9:46 AM
BSP leader Kornelia Ninova

How do the parties comment on the election results?

"The goal we set for these elections is to dismantle the GERB model in the local government. We are on our way to realizing this goal. The most striking example is in Sofia," said BSP leader Kornelia Ninova at a briefing after the end of the election a..

published on 10/29/23 11:28 PM
Rositsa Mateva

CEC: The court will decide whether there will be machine voting in the runoff

There are nine appeals against the CEC's decision to cancel machine voting. The Supreme Administrative Court is expected to rule on them tomorrow (October 30).  If the Supreme Administrative Court overturns the decision of the CEC, it will be..

published on 10/29/23 10:37 PM

Vanya Grigorova: The ordinary person should be at the center of the municipality's politics

"We took the first step, which is the most important - we put the problems of working people, of the little man, at the center of the public debate," said Vanya Grigorova, supported by the united Left - BSP for Bulgaria, the Left and others, after it..

published on 10/29/23 9:33 PM

Vasil Terziev: I continue the fight to be the mayor of all Sofians

Immediately after the results of the exit poll for the mayoral elections in Sofia were announced, from which it became clear that Sofia is going to a runoff for mayor between Vasil Terziev (PP-DB, Save Sofia) with 38.8% and Vanya Grigorova (BSP for..

published on 10/29/23 9:18 PM