The vast majority with which President Georgi Purvanov was re-elected to his position in the second round of Bulgaria's presidential elections was seen as a decisive victory of pro-EU formations in Bulgaria, Financial Times reported.

Purvanov's re-election could be considered a 'pro-EU referendum', Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev said.

During the second round of elections Purvanov faced the opposition of ultra-nationalist movement Ataka leader Volen Siderov. Siderov managed to win only 24 per cent of the vote.

"We were fortunate that in spite of a considerable protest vote, the nationalists could not mobilise more than 20 per cent, so we have avoided the danger of nationalism emerging on a much larger scale", representative of the Centre for the Study of Democracy Ognian Shentov said.

Despite the loss Siderov said that the significant voter support meant Ataka was emerging as an important player in Bulgarian politics.

Financial Times reported that the slow EU-related progress that the ruling coalition made almost caused a delay in the country's accession to the union. Purvanov was seen as one of the politicians who formed and fully supported the ruling coalition.

Siderov's ability to reach the second round of elections was seen as a protest to the policies of mainstream formations, Financial Times reported.