(ANSA) - SOFIA, 03 OTT - The conservative wind that seems to be blowing over Europe also reaches Bulgaria where, according to preliminary data, the conservative Gerb party of former premier Boyko Borissov is given a clear lead in the early parliamentary elections held today, the fourth in two years. Elections that registered at the same time a very low turnout, given at just over 35 percent of eligible voters, an all-time low for Bulgaria.

According to exit polls released soon after the polls closed, 24.6 percent of the vote would have gone to the Gerb.

This was a clear success for Borissov, formerly at the head of three governments in the space of nearly a decade, fought by the opposition and challenged by the population that took to the streets for rampant corruption and cronyism. Borissov had therefore emerged defeated in the last rounds of elections, which nevertheless did not give the country a stable government.

The Gerb's main antagonist, the liberal party 'Let's Continue the Change' (Pp), which had won the previous election last November under the slogan "zero tolerance for corruption," is in second place with a preliminary figure of 18.9 percent. Its leader Kiril Petkov, who became premier of a coalition government, remained in power for a few months, with parliament challenging him for incompetence and chaotic management of the country.

A relevant but heralded outcome of the vote concerns the rise of the nationalist Vazrazhdane (Revival) party, which rose to more than 10 percent by doubling its presence in parliament. Its leader Kostadin Kostadinov is calling for a review of Bulgaria's EU accession conditions and a referendum on the country's membership in NATO.

The Turkish minority party Dps, given 14.8 percent, the Socialists (Bsp) with 10.9 percent, and the right-wing 'Democratic Bulgaria' party, at 7.4 percent, would also enter the parliament-which has a 4 percent bar. The populist party 'There's a People Like This' (Itn) would place just above the 4 percent barrier. In essence, the results of the vote, if confirmed by the official count by the Central Election Commission, would be deja vu.

The same political formations from the previous polls, albeit with different percentages, would enter the unicameral parliament, which has 240 seats, confirming the strong fragmentation of the Assembly, resulting in uncertainty and difficulty for the formation of a new governing majority. Numbers in hand, it seems certain that Borissov's Gerb, even if it emerges as the winner of the elections, will certainly remain isolated in parliament again.

The Pp would either have to form a minority government or seek difficult alliances. Most likely, according to some analysts, a regular government will be formed anyway, even if with short horizons, with Bulgaria remaining at the bottom of the league in the EU for poverty and corruption. (ANSA).