The results in Varna: The maritime capital with a new mayor and a very fragmented municipal council

Blagomir Kotsev from “We continue the change – Democratic Bulgaria” won the mayoral elections in Varna in the second round, receiving 53.06% of the votes. This is what the final data shows after all sectional protocols have been processed.

Ivan Portnich from GERB remains second with 41.52%.

In the first round, the previous mayor was leading, receiving 26.5% of the votes. Kotsev had 21.56%, with less than 6,000 votes separating them.

The GERB party won the mayoral elections in Varna for the first time in 2011. The party’s candidate Kiril Yordanov defeated Veselin Mareshki in the second round, who was nominated by an initiative committee. The difference between the two was exactly 19%.

Ivan Portnich from GERB won convincingly already in the first round in 2015, receiving over 62% of the votes.

In 2019, Portnich ran against Kostadin Kostadinov from Vazrazhdane, with the GERB candidate winning, receiving 60.8%.

On social networks, Ivan Portnich thanked everyone who voted for him.

“I appreciate this support because I realize the extent of the corporate pressure that people were subjected to.” Congratulations to PPDB, supported by BSP, the holdings from the Alternative of Citizens and Vazrazhdane. I hope they fulfill all their generous promises to the people of Varna”, he added and warned – “We will be watching carefully”.

The municipal council

Although the municipal mayor is from PP-DB, the Municipal Council is extremely fragmented, and one seat in it is “worth” 1,934 votes.

PP-DB and GERB have an equal number of municipal councilors – 8 each.

“Vazrazhdane” has seven, “Citizens’ Alternative” has six, MK “Bulgarian Voice” and “Agricultural Union Alexander Stamboliyski” have five each.

DPS and BSP each have three, “The Left” and “Ima talikni narod” each have two municipal councilors, and SDS and MK “Svoboda” (VMRO, Conservative Bulgaria) will each have one representative in the local parliament.

The regional mayors

GERB’s candidates for the “Vladislav Varnenchik” and “Asparuhovo” regions, Nikolay Kostadinov and Ivaylo Marinov, won in the first round. The mayors of Odesos and Primorski regions are Tsvetnen Tsvetkov and Nikolay Zhelyazkov from PP-DB.

The mayor of Mladost district will be Hristo Hristov from “Citizens’ Alternative”.