The conservative party of former premier Boyko Borisov came first in Bulgaria's seventh general election in less than four years on Sunday, according to early results, but analysts warned that the lack of a majority meant lingering uncertainty.
Borisov's GERB party won about 25 percent of the vote, according to projections published by polling institutes with 80 percent of votes counted.
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The reformist coalition PP-DB and the pro-Russia ultra-nationalist Vazrazhdane party were in a close race for second place, gaining around 13 percent to 15 percent of the ballots.
"We are again waiting at the same bus stop to see whether GERB and PP-DB will reach an agreement" to isolate the far-right Vazrazhdane, said analyst Andrey Raichev on television.
The European Union's poorest member country has been at a political standstill since 2021 after massive anti-corruption protests in 2020 triggered the downfall of one Borisov-led cabinet.
Six votes since then have failed to yield a stable government.
Late Sunday, Borisov pledged to work on forming another government, adding he was willing to "compromise" despite securing a "categorical victory", but excluded working with the far right.
GERB will likely struggle to find partners to govern in the extremely fragmented parliament, where eight parties are expected to be represented.
- 'Without outside interference' -
Compared to the last election, voter turnout slightly increased to 38 percent. At a vote in June, turnout plummeted to just 34 percent -- the lowest since the end of communism.
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According to a recent opinion poll, about 60 percent of Bulgarians surveyed said the political deadlock was "extremely alarming".
"We're fed up, that's for sure," said Aneliya Ivanova ahead of the vote, echoing rising voter apathy.
"We're tired of being stuck in a carousel that goes round and round, and every time it's the same result," the 33-year-old IT worker told AFP.
The political impasse -- which is unprecedented since 1989 -- has also favoured the Vazrazhdane party.
"Bulgaria must remain an independent country, without outside interference," the group's president Kostadin Kostadinov said, referring to the EU and the United States.
Vazrazhdane appears to have gained influence since proposing a law banning LGBTQ "propaganda" that was passed by parliament in August.
The legislation was inspired by a similar law in Russia. Even though Bulgaria is a NATO member, many citizens remain strongly pro-Russian.
- Undecided White House race -
According to analyst Raichev, Borisov will wait for the result of the November US presidential election between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris before forming a government.
"Borisov will feel much more comfortable if Trump becomes president," he added.
The election of Republican Trump and his "leniency towards corruption" could prompt GERB to form a minority cabinet with tacit backing from former tycoon Delyan Peevski, who is the target of US and British sanctions, said analyst Dobromir Zhivkov, director of the Market Links institute.
The 44-year-old lawmaker has created a breakaway faction within the Turkish minority MRF party, which took fourth place Sunday with around 10 percent of the vote.
Amid fears of electoral fraud, public prosecutors launched hundreds of investigations ahead of the vote. More than 70 people suspected of vote-buying were arrested.
Prolonged political instability has put key anti-corruption reforms as well as the country's energy transition on hold, jeopardising the payout of European funds.
Bulgaria's goals of joining the eurozone and the free movement Schengen area via land have also slipped further away.
A further burden to the country is the cost of organising seven elections amounting to several hundred million euros.
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