SOFIA, Bulgaria — According to the national electoral commission, the center-right GERB party, led by former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, is poised to win Bulgaria’s parliamentary elections, with 98% of votes accounted for.

The latest figures indicate that the GERB party received 26.5% of the total vote, significantly ahead by nearly 12 percentage points of the reformist coalition represented by the We Continue the Change party, which advocates for pro-Western policies.

Additionally, results show that seven other political parties are expected to secure seats in the 240-member National Assembly.

In third place is the far-right, ultranationalist, and populist party Vazrazhdane, which garnered 13.5% of the vote. This party has effectively tapped into the pro-Russian sentiments prevalent among many in Bulgaria and is advocating for the cessation of sanctions on Russia, discontinuing support for Ukraine, and holding a referendum regarding Bulgaria’s NATO membership.

The Movement for Rights and Freedoms, historically representing the country’s substantial ethnic Turkish population, experienced a split into two competing factions. One faction is aligned with the party’s founder, Ahmed Dogan, while the other is backed by businessman Delyan Peevski, who has been sanctioned by the U.S. Both factions managed to gain parliamentary seats, with the former receiving 7% of the votes and the latter 11%.

The remaining seats in the new parliament will be occupied by smaller populist and pro-Russian parties, including the Socialist Party, which is seen as the successor to the once-dominant Communist Party.

Official final results could take several days to confirm. If the current estimates hold true, Borissov will be tasked with forming his fourth government.

In his initial remarks following the election, Borissov declared his party’s victory as “categorical” and expressed his willingness to seek compromises with other parties to establish a coalition, excluding Vazrazhdane from negotiations.

However, analysts have suggested that Borissov might encounter significant challenges in assembling a viable governing coalition. They noted that the election outcomes did not reflect substantial differences from the previous six elections in just over three years, indicating that negotiations may be arduous and hinting at the possibility of another election in the near future.