Reactions after election poses challenge to Bulgaria leader

A new anti-establishment party came second place in Bulgaria's parliamentary election, the central electoral commission said Monday.

With 72% of ballots counted, the There is Such Nation party led by popular TV entertainer Slavi Trifonov came in second with 18.2% of the vote.

The ruling GERB party won 25.8% and the Socialist Party was in third place with 14.9%.

Georgy Yordanov, a resident of Bulgaria's capital, congratulated Trifonov, noting that he'd gained many votes despite not being an established politician.

But Preslava Petranova was more sceptical, suggesting this wasn't the change Bulgarians need.

"But let's see how he will handle it," she said. "This is not my choice, but if he gathered so much trust, I am expressing my support as well."

The election was widely seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Boyko Borissov after months of anti-government protests and amid a surge in coronavirus infections.

Late Sunday, Borissov called on his opponents to form a broad-based governing coalition.

(Image Credit: The Associated Press)