Bulgaria Analysis BAROMETER Година 16, брой 4, Октомври-декември 2016 Political parties in Bulgaria Georgi Karasimeonov(Ed.) Volume 17, Issue 1, January-March 2017 The political situation in the future will be determined by the election results. Bulgaria will soon have a new government that has been regularly chosen by parliament. Its main challenge will be the continuation of reforms in the country and seeking a balance in the complex geopolitical situation and at regional level. Intensified relations between the EU and Turkey, on one hand, and on the other between Bulgaria and Turkey, regarding the apparent intervention of the Turkish state during the elections in Bulgaria, require a careful approach by the Bulgarian government. GERB won the elections and that confirmed the party as a major player in the right space. Boyko Borisov will soon set up his third office, most probably in coalition with the United Patriots. In the medium term this could lead to difficulties in the work of the government because of the evident differences on key issues between the two formations. BSP regained its position of hegemony in the left space. Although it lost the elections, the party expanded its influence and will be a strong opposition. It will be very hard for the other leftist parties – ABV- Movement 21 and the«Bulgarian Social Democrats» party to find the strength to continue their own party political life. So the question facing BSP is to find a way to unification of the left and winning the next parliamentary elections with a convincing result.