'Revival' Leader: 'Bought Votes Are a Tumor in Bulgaria's Democracy'

The leader of the Bulgarian party "Revival," Kostadin Kostadinov, labeled the phenomenon of bought votes as "the tumor of Bulgarian democracy" during his first press conference following the elections. With the Central Election Commission (CEC) confirming results, the party received 13.358% support, securing 35 seats in the newly elected 51st parliament.

Kostadinov expressed gratitude to their voters, noting an increase of 10% in support, translating to 325,000 votes compared to 295,000 in the previous elections. However, he emphasized that this achievement fell short of their goal to boost voter turnout by 300,000. He criticized the electoral process, suggesting that a significant portion of the increase stemmed from purchased votes. He expressed concern over the higher performance of the two DPS parties, which garnered nearly half a million votes, describing this as a substantial threat to national security.

He estimated that almost one million voters were coerced into casting ballots. Regarding the formation of a government, Kostadinov stated, "The question of whether there will be a government is not on the agenda at all—there will be a government, for sure." He predicted that at least four parties would be involved in its formation. He remarked that while Bulgarian citizens might be weary of elections, they are more concerned about the money spent on vote-buying since 2021.