site.btaResearch Center Trend: Five Parties Certain to Enter Next Parliament, Three Hover near Threshold

Five parties and coalitions are certain to enter the next National Assembly, while three are hovering around the 4% electoral threshold, according to a survey by Research Center Trend released to the media.

The Trend poll, commissioned by 24 Chasa, examines voter attitudes ahead of the April 19 snap parliamentary elections. It was conducted between April 13 and 16, through face-to-face semi-standardized interviews using tablets among 1,004 respondents aged 18 or over.

A total of 3.2 million adult Bulgarian citizens say they intend to vote in the elections, an increase of around 100,000 compared with a previous survey conducted just before the start of the campaign, Trend said.

The agency reports no structural change in electoral attitudes over the past month. Progressive Bulgaria remains in the lead with 33.2% support among likely voters, followed by GERB-UDF with 19.1%.

The contest for third place remains close, with Continue the Change - Democratic Bulgaria at 11.2% holding a narrow lead over the Movement for Rights and Freedoms at 10.2%. Vazrazhdane holds fifth place with 7.1%, according to the survey.

Three parties are near the 4% electoral threshold. Support for BSP - United Left stands at 4%, but higher turnout could put its representation at risk. Siyanie (Radiance) stands at 3.9%, while MECh is also close to the threshold with 3.7%.

They are followed by There Is Such a People (2.1%), Velichie (1.7%), the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (1.6%) and Blue Bulgaria (1%).

The survey was conducted only in Bulgaria, and voting abroad could introduce certain changes to the electoral landscape, Trend said.