| Volt Bulgaria | |
| Native Name: | Волт България |
| Native Name Lang: | bg |
| Abbreviation: | Volt / Волт |
| Chairperson: | Nastimir Ananiev |
| Leader2 Title: | Vice Chairperson |
| Leader2 Name: | Boris Borisov |
| Headquarters: | Sofia |
| Ideology: | European federalism[1] Pro-Europeanism[2] Social liberalism[3] Progressivism[4] |
| Position: | Centre to centre-left |
| European: | Volt Europa |
| National: | Stand Up.BG! We are coming! (2021) We Continue the Change (2021–) |
| Seats1 Title: | National Assembly |
| Seats2 Title: | European Parliament |
| Seats3 Title: | Municipalities |
| Country: | Bulgaria |
Volt Bulgaria (abbreviated Volt) is a social-liberal political party in Bulgaria. It is the Bulgarian branch of Volt Europa, a political movement that operates on a European level. It is currently part of the centrist electoral coalition We Continue the Change.
Although it being a part of the currently active Volt Europa movement, the Bulgarian chapter of Volt has been inactive, rather affiliating itself with We Continue the Change, instead of its own branding.
Volt Bulgaria was founded in Sofia on 19 May 2018, with Nastimir Ananiev as its first chairman.
The 2019 European Parliament election was the first election in which Volt took part. The party obtained 0.18% of the Vote in Bulgaria.[5] Although the Bulgarian branch of Volt was unable to obtain a seat in the European Parliament, it is currently represented by the German branch, which won one seat.
Volt Bulgaria participated in the 2019 Bulgarian Local Elections, with the ''Together for Change'' Coalition list, and obtained 7.12% of the votes in Haskovo,[6] 6.12% in Rodopi,[7] and 6.39% in Sopot,[8] earning Volt a seat in each of those localities.
Volt Bulgaria participated in the April 2021 Bulgarian parliamentary election as part of the anti-government coalition ISMV. The coalition gained 14 seats in parliament, none of which were allocated to members of Volt.[9]
Volt Bulgaria participated again in the early July 2021 Bulgarian parliamentary election as part of the anti-government coalition ISMV. The coalition gained 13 seats in parliament, none of which were allocated to members of Volt.[10]
Volt Bulgaria participated in the November 2021 Bulgarian parliamentary election as part of the electoral coalition We Continue the Change (PP) led by Kiril Petkov and Asen Vasilev, the former caretaker Economy and Finance Ministers, respectively.[11] The coalition gained 67 seats in parliament, two of which was allocated to members of Volt. This makes Volt Bulgaria the second Volt Europa party to enter a national legislature after Volt Netherlands.
| Election | Leader | Votes | % | Seats | +/– | Government |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2021 | Nastimir Ananiev | 150,940 | 4.65 (#6) | New | ||
| Jul 2021 | 136,885 | 4.95 (#6) | 0 | |||
| Nov 2021 | 666,837 | 25.65 (#1) | 2 | |||
| 2022 | 506,099 | 19.52 (#2) | 0 | |||
| 2023 | 621,069 | 23.54 (#2) | 1 | |||
| Jun 2024 | 307,849 | 13.92 (#3) | 1 |