Bulgaria's ruling Socialists and the GERB party of Sofia mayor Boyko Borisov, one of the most outspoken critics of the government coalition, are set to win five MEP seats each, exit polls showed after the close of voting on Sunday.

Surveys by pollsters Alfa Research, Skala and the National Center for Public Opinion Research all gave an equal number of seats to the two parties, based on preliminary data.

Ethnic Turk Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF), part of the ruling coalition, is set to win four seats, while their political arch-rival Attack (Ataka) will get three, the pollsters agree.

The final seat is set to go to the centrist Simeon II National Movement (SIINM), the third member of the ruling majority.

Bulgaria's two established rightist parties, the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) and Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB), both failed to make the 5,66% threshold necessary to win even a single seat.

Voter turnout hit a record low in Bulgaria, with 22% casting their ballots with two hours left before the end of voting.

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