The Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) has been on the political scene since the beginning of the changes in the country. Until the elections on April 19, 2026, its electorate also seemed to be the most stable. In 2013, its result was just over 400 thousand votes (11.3%), and in the 2023 vote, the party received 348 thousand votes (13.75%).
In 2024, the formation split and in the October elections it appeared as MRF-New Beginning (a faction around Delyan Peevski) and the Alliance for Rights and Freedoms (the remaining supporters of Ahmed Dogan). Despite the split, DPS-New Beginning largely retained the party's positions, and in October 2024 it independently managed to attract 281 thousand votes (11.51%). APS received 182 thousand votes. (or 7.49%).
The dynamics of DPS votes for the last thirteen years can be followed in the following graph:
* The results from October 2024 are only for the faction around Delyan Peevski – DPS-New Beginning. The votes received by the APS in October 2024 are 182,254.
The graph shows that the total number of votes for the MRF in the vote a few days ago is the lowest since the beginning of the period under review. The result of the formation also sets a negative record in percentage.
The mandates of the Movement logically follow the dynamics of the votes over the years and vary between 26 (in 2017) and, according to forecasts, already 21 in the new 52nd National Assembly.
How are the votes of the MRF changing by region?
The data for the country show that the MRF lost the most votes compared to October 2024 from Varna - by 7,086 less, Blagoevgrad - by 6,800 less and Pazardzhik - by 6,245 less. In the regions of Kardzhali, Razgrad and Silistra, it has increased. However, it is also due to the fact that in the elections in October 2024, these regions were the most fiercely fought between the two factions - MRF-New Beginning and APS, where the latter gathered serious support. Some of these votes have apparently returned to the MRF "brand" in the elections on April 19.
The regions of Vidin, Vratsa and Montana, which are "untraditional" for the MRF, also deserve special attention. However, for years, there has been a steady increase in support for the formation. This time there is a serious decline there. In these regions, the formation loses almost 14 thousand votes, of which 6 thousand from Montana alone. Thus, support for the DPS has decreased by almost half compared to 2024.
What the electoral map of the DPS looked like in October 2024 and in the elections last Sunday is presented in the following infographic:
The graph from October 2024 visualizes the votes of the DPS-NN.
The results of the elections on April 19, 2026 show that for the first time in more than a decade, the DPS registered the lowest result not only in absolute number of votes, but also in share.
The data show that in the traditional regions for the DPS, some voters are consolidating around the party again, after their votes were divided between Novo nachod and APS in October 2024. However, the peripheral vote expanded in 2024 is shrinking significantly. Thus, a year and a half after Ahmed Dogan instructed Delyan Peevski to expand “party building in non-traditional regions” and after the temporary success of DPS-New Beginning at the end of 2024, their support decreased almost half.
It turns out that after the elections on Sunday, DPS, as well as most of the formations of the 51st National Assembly, lost a significant part of their support after the emergence of Progressive Bulgaria.