SOFIA, April 19 (Xinhua) -- The Progressive Bulgaria coalition, led by the previous President Rumen Radev, is leading in Bulgaria's early parliamentary elections, according to exit polls announced by the Bulgarian National TV on Sunday.

Alpha Research projects Progressive Bulgaria at 37.5 percent, well ahead of the GERB-UDF coalition at 16.2 percent. They are followed by the We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB) coalition with 14.3 percent, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) with 8.4 percent, the Revival party with 4.9 percent, and the BSP-United Left coalition with 4.1 percent, just above the 4 percent threshold to enter the 240-seat parliament.

A separate exit poll by Myara Sociology Agency shows a similar trend, with Progressive Bulgaria at 38.7 percent, GERB-UDF at 14.8 percent, PP-DB at 13.1 percent, MRF at 9.2 percent, Revival at 5.3 percent, and BSP-United Left at 4.0 percent.

Official results, including seat distribution, are expected by April 23.

Under the constitution, the president will task the largest parliamentary group with forming a government. If it fails, two further attempts may be made by the second-largest group and another party.

This marks Bulgaria's eighth parliamentary election in five years, triggered after Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov's government resigned in December 2025 amid mass protests over its economic policies, and parliament subsequently failed to form a new cabinet.