New MEPs Announced as Bulgarian Election Commission Completes Eurovote Mandate Distribution

The Bulgarian Central Electoral Commission (CEC) adopted a decision distributing the mandates from the European Parliament vote among the participating parties. GERB will be represented by five MEPs, while the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (DPS), "We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria" (WCC-DB), and "Revival" each send three deputies to the European Parliament. The Bulgarian Socialist Party (BSP) secured two MEPs, and "There Is Such a People" (TISP) will have one representative.

The CEC accepted an application from Rosen Zhelyazkov from the GERB list, who declined to be named as an elected MEP. Consequently, GERB's five MEPs will be Andrey Kovachev, Andrey Novakov, Emil Radev,Eva Maydell, and Iliya Lazarov. Similarly, last night, the applications of Jevdet Chakarov and Iskra Mihailova-Koparova from the DPS list, who refused to be MEPs, were voted on. As a result, the three parliamentary seats from the DPS will be occupied by Ilhan Kyuchuk, Taner Kabilov, and Elena Yoncheva.

From the WCC-DB coalition, the MEPs are the leaders of the list Nikola Minchev, Radan Kanev, and Hristo Petrov. The latter two entered with preferences, moving from fifth and sixth to second and third, respectively, displacing Stefan Tafrov and Daniel Laurer. The three representatives from "Revival" in the European Parliament are Petar Volgin, who, with preferences, moved from second on the list to first, Stanislav Stoyanov, and Rada Laikova. BSP's representatives in the European Parliament will be Kristian Vigenin and Tsvetelina Penkova, the latter having displaced the second on the list, Rumen Gechev, through a preferential vote. Ivaylo Valchev will represent "There Is Such a People."

Today, the Commission will decide on the results of the early parliamentary vote, determining the number of votes received and mandates distributed among the seven parties and coalitions entering the 50th National Assembly. When a candidate is elected in two multi-mandate regions, they must declare in writing to the CEC within one day which list they wish to remain elected in. The Central Election Commission is expected to announce the names of the new 240 deputies on Sunday.