Bulgaria’s center-right party won a legislative election Sunday, according to preliminary exit polls, batting back an opposition that sought to steer the European Union nation closer to Russia.

The Citizens for European Development–known by its Bulgarian acronym GERB–held a 32% to 28% lead over the Socialist Party. The latter calls for the EU to drop its sanctions on Russia and has backed a pipeline that would likely increase Europe’s dependency on Russian gas.

Politicians nervous about Russian influence in Eastern Europe celebrated the tally as a rebuke of that vision. Official results are expected Monday.

“This is very good for Bulgaria,” said former President Rosen Plevneliev, an independent politician who favors closer ties with the West. “Bulgaria will stay a visible part of the European Union.”

Bulgaria’s election has been closely watched for clues on how much popular opinion in Eastern Europe favors normalizing ties with Russia, which remains under sanctions for its 2014 annexation of Crimea.