The GERB party of Sofia mayor Boyko Borisov won the day in Bulgaria's first ever MEP elections, getting 21.69%, the results after the final counting of the votes show.

Second ranks the ruling Socialists, who won 21.41%, followed by the ethnic Turk Movement for Rights and Freedoms (MRF) with 20.26%.

The other two formations, which will have representatives in the European Parliament, are the nationalist party Ataka (14.22%) and the centrist Simeon II National Movement that managed to gather 6.26% of the votes.

The rest 11 parties, coalitions and independent candidates, including Bulgaria's two established rightist parties, the Union of Democratic Forces (UDF) and Democrats for Strong Bulgaria (DSB), failed to make the 5.66% threshold necessary to win even a single seat.

The winners from GERB got the greatest support in the cities of Varna, Plovdiv, Veliko Tarnovo, Russe, Gabrovo, Stara Zagora and two regions of Sofia.

The Socialists received most of the ballots in Vidin, Vratsa, Montana, Lovech, Kustendil, the regional areas of Sofia, etc.

The ethnic Turkish party got the biggest support in the cities with the highest voter turnout in the country - Kardzhali, Razgrad, Targovishte, Silistra and Shumen.

The final results deny the exit poll that showed the MRF was a surprise winner in the country's first MEP vote.

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