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Battle ahead for Bulgarian left
 Socialist leader Sergei Stanishev with wife Elena Yoncheva at a polling station. YOUR E-MAIL ALERTS(CNN) -- Bulgaria's opposition Socialists faced an uphill battle on Sunday after they won weekend elections but fell short of the absolute majority needed to form a government to lead the Balkan state into the European Union in 2007. Final results are expected Monday. The Coalition for Bulgaria, which was built around the Bulgarian Socialist Party, had about 32 percent of the vote, according to exit poll results. This which would translate into about 83 of the 240 seats in the National Assembly. In order to have a majority, the party will have to win 121 seats. Without that many seats, the party would need to form a coalition with the other parties in parliament, and most of the others have pledged not to cooperate with the Socialists. The unofficial exit poll results showed the party of Prime Minister Simeon Saxe-Coburg -- who was once the nation's king -- with about 20 percent of the vote, translating into 64 seats in parliament. The party is called National Movement for Simeon II. While Saxe-Coburg has kept his promises to improve Bulgaria's economy and bring the country nearer to membership in the European Union, he has been criticized for failing to take on the problems of corruption, poverty and organized crime. "We had to pay the political price for the very painful reforms which we have to do in order for Bulgaria to join NATO, to join the European Union, and the truth of this effort will be seen in a short period," Foreign Minister Solomon Passey told CNN. "We do believe that what we have started we shall have the chance to continue." The nation is required to make economic and social reforms to be considered for EU membership in 2007. But many of the promised reforms -- such as overhauling the judiciary to make it more efficient -- have not taken place. Passy said judicial reforms will be completed in the next 18 months, in time to "join the EU successfully." He founded the Atlantic Club, a nongovernmental organization that spearheaded Bulgaria's drive to become a member of NATO. He has a key role in membership negotiations with the EU. Passy contends that since the collapse of the Communist regime, the Socialist Party has repeatedly undermined Bulgaria's national interests and its foreign policy priorities, including its integration with Europe. The Socialists have vowed to hike public wages 20 percent and invest more funding in education and health care. Other parties' results, according to the exit polls: -- Right and Freedom's Movement Party, 10 percent or 29 seats. -- United Democratic Forces, 8 percent or 24 seats -- Attack National Movement, 7 percent or 19 seats -- Democrats for a Strong Bulgaria, 7 percent or about 19 seats -- Bulgarian People's Union, 5 percent or about 13 seats. In order to have a seat in Parliament, parties must have at least 4 percent of the vote. The voter turnout was estimated at about 45 percent -- a decrease from the 66-percent turnout in the last parliamentary elections. 
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