2009 European Parliament election in Bulgaria

2009 European Parliament election in Bulgaria

7 June 2009
18 seats to the European Parliament
Turnout	37.5%
First party Second party Third party   Leader Rumiana Jeleva Ivaylo Kalfin Filiz Hyusmenova Party GERB BSP DPS Alliance EPP S&D ALDE Last election 5 seats, 21.68% 5 seats, 21.41% 4 seats, 20.26% Seats won 5 4 3 Seat change 1 1 Popular vote 627,693 476,618 364,197 Percentage 24.36% 18.50% 14.14% Swing 2.68 2.91 6.12   Fourth party Fifth party Sixth party   Leader Dimitar Stoyanov Meglena Kuneva Nadezhda Mihaylova Party Ataka NDSV Blue Coalition Alliance NI ALDE EPP Last election 3 seats, 14.20% 1 seat, 6,27% 0 seats, 9,09% Seats won 2 2 2 Seat change 1 1 2 Popular vote 308,052 205,146 204,817 Percentage 11.96% 7.96% 7.95% Swing 2.24 1.69 1.14

The election of the delegation from Bulgaria to the European Parliament was held on Sunday, 7 June 2009. As a result of the Treaty of Nice – that became active in November 2004 – the number of Bulgarian delegates in the European Parliament decreased from 18 (in 2007) to 17 delegates. When the Treaty of Lisbon was ratified, the number of Bulgarian Delegates increased to 18 again, giving a second seat to the Blue Coalition.

Background

This election is the first one, in which Bulgaria elects MEP for the full five-year term. Most political analysts viewed these elections as a rehearsal to the 2009 Bulgarian parliamentary election. It was speculated that if similar results were obtained on the latter elections, that the formation of government would be extremely difficult. This did not turn out to be the case.

Opinion polls

Source	Date	GERB	BSP	DPS	Attack	Blue Coalition	Others
Alpha Research Archived 2 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine	March	19.2%	14.1%	6.0%	6.8%	4.9%	–
Alpha Research	April	24%	18%	15%	8%	7%	–
NCIOM	19 May	32.4%	26.8%	12.1%	11%	6.2%	6.8%
Skala	28 May	31.99%	20.89%	13.61%	9.70%	10.21%	13.1%
MBMD	31 May	30.00%	25.00%	19.00%	8.10%	6.07%	7.1%
Skala	1 June	30.30%	21.42%	15.03%	9.77%	8.94%	14.54%
Skala	2 June	31.15%	20.87%	15.18%	9.46%	8.80%	14.54%
Barometar Info	3 June	26.07%	17.54%	15.00%	8.53%	9.24%	18.95%
Skala	4 June	29.50%	20.95%	16.55%	10.30%	8.22%	14.48%

Results

Party		Votes	%	Seats	+/–
	GERB	627,693	24.36	5	0
	Coalition for Bulgaria	476,618	18.50	4	–1
	Movement for Rights and Freedoms	364,197	14.14	3	–1
	Attack	308,052	11.96	2	–1
	National Movement for Stability and Progress	205,146	7.96	2	+1
	Blue Coalition	204,817	7.95	1	+1
	Liberal Initiative for Democratic European Development	146,984	5.70	0	New
	Order, Law and Justice	120,280	4.67	0	0
	Forwards (IMRO-BND–ZNS–Gergyovden–ENP)	57,931	2.25	0	New
	The Greens	18,444	0.72	0	New
	Bulgarian Social Democracy	14,132	0.55	0	New
	Union of Patriotic Forces "Defence"	11,904	0.46	0	New
	Bulgarian New Democracy	11,679	0.45	0	New
	Independents	8,565	0.33	0	0
Total		2,576,442	100.00	17	–1
Valid votes		2,576,442	99.03
Invalid/blank votes		25,245	0.97
Total votes		2,601,687	100.00
Registered voters/turnout		6,684,770	38.92
Source: CIK

Elected MEPs

The following 18 MEP were elected:

5 MEPs from GERB that joined the European People's Party group:

1. Rumiana Jeleva
2. Vladimir Urutchev
3. Iliana Ivanova
4. Emil Stoyanov
5. Maria Nedeltcheva

4 MEPs from the Coalition for Bulgaria that joined the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats:

1. Ivaylo Kalfin
2. Iliana Yotova
3. Kristian Vigenin
4. Evgeni Kirilov

3 MEPs from Movement for Rights and Freedoms that joined the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group:

1. Filiz Husmenova
2. Vladko Panayotov
3. Metin Kazak

2 MEPs from Attack that sat as Non-inscrits:

1. Dimitar Stoyanov
2. Slavcho Binev

2 MEPs from National Movement for Stability and Progress that joined the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe group:

1. Meglena Kuneva
2. Antonia Parvanova

1 MEP from Union of Democratic Forces that joined the European People's Party group:

1. Nadezhda Mihaylova

1 MEP from Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria that joined the European People's Party group:

1. Svetoslav Malinov

See also

• 2007 European Parliament election in Bulgaria
• 2014 European Parliament election in Bulgaria
• 2009 European Parliament election
• European Parliament elections,Bulgaria

External links

• Official website (in Bulgarian)
• EurActiv summary of the issues and lists
• Lists on the ballot for the European Parliament election, 2009 (Bulgaria)