Reports and photographs by The Sofia Echo election coverage team:
Petar Kostadinov, Mariana Marinova, Elitsa Grancharova, Elitsa Savova, Yana Moyseeva, Violet Farah and Ana Mineva.

In their own words
Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev, leader of the Bulgarian Socialist Party:
The parties failed to convince people of the importance of voting and of the European institutions. Taking into consideration the positive attitude towards the EU in Bulgaria, voter turnout was low. The results were below our expectations, taking into consideration the positive campaign and our strong MEP list. Negative managed to defeat the positive in campaigning. The BSP will carefully analyse the result. It became evident that the efforts of some parties to carry out campaigns based on hatred failed. Nearly two-thirds of all Bulgarians refused to vote. The Movement for Rights and Freedoms carried out a strong campaign and proved that it doesn't rely on votes from abroad. In the future, the BSP will continue emphasising issues like nuclear energy in Bulgaria and the trial of the five Bulgarian nurses in Libya. It also became clear that Bulgaria has a new strong opposition party. At the same time, traditional rightist parties in Bulgaria performed poorly. The Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria carried out a strongly negative campaign. Especially in the final week of campaigning, CEDB decided to focus on ethnic issues. To some degree, Bulgarians cast a protest vote, which was not major and it will not change the political status quo.

Kristian Vigenin, list leader of the BSP-dominated Platform of European Socialists:
One of the principal reasons for the low voter turnout is that people did not receive sufficient information on what the European Parliament is and how important these elections are. (Asked if the Roumen Ovcharov controversy influenced the vote): Yes, but I cannot say how much. Some of those who had decided to vote, it seems, later decided not to because of this confrontation. We relied on a real European campaign, which did not work. The truth is that some of the political forces relied on confrontation, on internal political issues and took part in these elections as if they were elections for the national and not the European Parliament. (In a subsequent interview with Bulgarian National Television, Vigenin said that the party would analyse the results, but the European trend was for ruling parties to lose European elections).

Ahmed Dogan, leader of the Movement for Rights and Freedoms:
The MRF is not ready to be the primary political force in Bulgaria (at the time this was said, some exit polls indicated that the MRF had the biggest share of votes). I am not ready to be the leader of a top political force because this will give rise to a number of reactions, very positive in Europe and predominantly negative in Bulgaria. The distribution of power in the tripartite coalition should not change. I will not seek a larger presence in power. The coalition is stable and should stay that way. Bulgarian society is not ready to accept the MRF as the leading power. Too many people still see the party as ethnically-based, something that has changed a long time ago. Bulgarians protested through their vote for the CEDB, something that needs to be analysed. The fact that the MRF is becoming stronger could lead to a response from some nationalistic formations in the country.

Filiz Hyusemenova, Movement for Rights and Freedoms MEP candidate list leader:
The aim was for everyone to vote, no matter for which list. It is obvious that we most probably did not succeed to better inform people and to really convince them that there was sense in voting.

Volen Siderov, leader of Ataka:
Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev should resign because of the failure of his Cabinet and policies. The Cabinet is a political bargain made to cover up the failures of the previous cabinet. The BSP is becoming increasingly dependent on its coalition partners and instead of giving up power, tries to prove the Cabinet's stability. The opposition should unite and embark on common action. We have seen how our predictions became reality. The political tumor called the MRF is growing because of the favourable environment that the BSP offers. The MRF won the elections through manipulation and a number of purely criminal actions. In the mixed-population regions, people are threatened, and tonight it became clear that nothing can stop the MRF. Bulgaria is sending to the European Parliament five representatives of Ankara, who will defend the Turkish position and interests. Maybe the MEP election results will get Bulgarians to wake up. We should say congratulations to Bulgaristan in Europe.

Dimitar Stoyanov, Ataka MEP candidate list leader:
These elections show that the composition of the incumbent National Assembly does not correspond to people's views. In these elections, Ataka won as many votes as in the (2005) parliamentary elections, even though the voter turnout now was only half the level then.

Slavi Binev, Ataka candidate:
(Asked why the MRF did better than Ataka): Oppressors give birth to slaves and slaves give birth to oppressors, the connection is indivisible.

Simeon Saxe-Coburg, leader of the National Movement Simeon II:
What made me happiest of all is that our campaign remained purely European on the topics it tackled.

Milen Velchev, National Movement Simeon II deputy leader:
What matters most is that the NMSII conducted a very good positive campaign which, given a higher turnout and slightly different circumstances, would have led to a major success.

National Movement Simeon II MEP candidate Antonia Purvanova:
I would not call this a loss (for the NMSII) but it is a serious signal for work. (Commenting on Ataka doing better than the NMSII): This is bad, because each and every MEP from Ataka is a lost member of Parliament for Bulgaria. (Asked if the corruption scandal influenced the results): It is obvious that it has influenced them, but it has influenced not only one party but in a falling tide in taking part in political life.

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THE MAY 20 MEP ELECTION RESULTS

Citizens for the European Development of Bulgaria: 21.69 per cent (419 301 votes): 5 seats

Platform European Socialists: 21.41 per cent (414 050 votes): 5 seats

Movement for Rights and Freedoms: 20.26 per cent (319 711 votes): 4 seats

Ataka: 14.22 per cent (274 862 votes): 3 seats

National Movement Simeon II: 6.26 per cent (120 945 votes): 1 seat

BULGARIA'S MEPS ARE:

GERB:
Dushana Zdravkova
Nikolay Mladenov
Petya Stavreva
Rumyana Zheleva
Vladimir Uruchev

Platform European Socialists:
Kristian Vigenin
Iliyana Yotova
Atanas Paparizov
Evgeni Kirilov
Marusya Lyubcheva

MRF:
Filiz Hyusmenova
Marelka Baeva
Metin Kazak 
Vladko Panayotovski

Ataka:
Dimitar Stoyanov
Slavi Binev
Desislav Chukolov

NMSII:
Bilyana Raeva
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Other voices

Sega daily newspaper, May 22:
The Bulgarian Socialist Party lost two-thirds of its electorate in two years. In the 2007 MEP elections it had 414 050 voters, a total of 715 146 less than in the 2005 parliamentary elections.
"It is sad when the leader of the winning party wants to beat up the leader of the third-placed party, and the leader of the fourth-placed party wants not only to beat up all the rest but banish them from the country too; it is also sad when the largest parliamentary party is torn by corruption scandals, while all its royal partner has to say is, `let's be positive'."

Trud daily newspaper, May 22:
There was no winner on election night. Commentator Peter-Emil Mitev says in Trud that if Economy and Energy Minister Roumen Ovcharov keeps his top position in the BSP leadership in Sofia, the party could suffer in the municipal elections. However, the resignation of a key figure like Ovcharov would be just as bad.

Monitor daily newspaper, May 22:
Reports professor Mihail Konstantinov as saying that Movement for Rights and Freedoms leader Ahmed Dogan did nothing special; it was only that the other parties failed.

Bulgarian Industrial Association president Bozhidar Danev:
A caretaker government may become the only viable option if the current Bulgarian Government proves unable to survive in a changed political landscape after the May 20 MEP elections.

Ivan Krastev, political scientist:
These elections will be followed by Cabinet changes. The BSP hard core is in a crisis now because it is losing voter support from what is usually defined as a solid electorate for the socialist party.

Krassimir Karakachanov, VMRO:
With this corrupt Government, Bulgaria will never progress and people do not believe in political parties.

Stefan Sofianski, leader of the Union of Free Democrats:
The elections are over, the elections are starting from tomorrow.