Bulgaria’s third consecutive snap parliamentary elections in just 18 months have once again produced a hung parliament, with a set of ideologically diverse parties crossing the threshold for admittance to the Bulgarian National Assembly.

Held on 2 October, the election saw the electoral comeback of the centre-right GERB party of longtime former PM Boyko Borissov, which overtook its main election rival, the centrist We Continue the Change (PP) movement of fellow ex-PM Kiril Petkov. However, with GERB securing only 25% of the popular vote, Borissov’s party will rely on partners to form a functioning government and the path towards a working coalition looks a difficult one.

With multiple other incoming parliamentary parties divided along geopolitical, ideological and policy grounds, yet another snap parliamentary vote could follow if neither Borissov’s GERB nor the Petkov-led PP is able to garner enough support for a parliamentary majority. Equally possible, however, is the appointment of a technocratic government, as public pressure mounts on the key protagonists to find a path towards some form of political stability.

Below, Aretera provides further insight into Bulgaria’s post-election political landscape and the implications of the latest re-rerun elections.