Former head of state Rumen Radev’s electoral alliance clearly won in the early parliamentary elections in Bulgaria.
The ex-general, who is considered Russia-friendly, was able to gather around 44.6 percent of the vote on Sunday for his Progressive Bulgaria (PB) alliance. This means that PB should have an absolute majority in the 240-seat parliament.
Photo with Putin
Radev also showed his closeness to Russia in the election campaign. In a video at an election meeting at the end of his election campaign in the capital Sofia, Radev’s meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin could be seen for about a second.
According to election experts, this photo is said to have improved the election results of two political groups – in addition to Radev’s PB alliance also the liberal-conservative pro-European association PP-DB. This came out as the third strongest force in the new election with around 12.7 percent of the votes. Unlike Radev’s supporters, PP-DB was outraged by the photo. It “gave both sides fuel,” said sociologist Andrei Rajchev on the television station bTV.
Friends of Russia and opponents of Russia in Bulgaria
Bulgarian society has historically been very divided in relation to Russia. Some see Russia as a liberator from the Turks and also from fascism. For others, Russia is an occupier that imposed communism in the southeastern European country. The comparison of friends and opponents of Russia goes back to the 19th century.
The ex-general and former fighter jet pilot Radev resigned from the office of president in January in order to take part in the election. The potential voters of his alliance can be located in the left-wing, nationalist and pro-Russian spectrum, writes the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, which is close to the CDU, in its country report on the vote. During the election campaign, Radev did not take a clear position on Russia, but rather emphasized the protection of national interests within NATO and the EU.
Radev not a “Bulgarian Orbán”
“It is unlikely that Radev will openly adopt Orbán-style rhetoric, at least in his relations with his European colleagues,” said the head of the European Council’s Foreign Policy Office in Sofia, Maria Simeonova, according to the internet newspaper mediapool.bg, referring to the recently voted-out Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Radev’s criticism, especially of the financial and military support for Ukraine or of the Russia sanctions, was mainly aimed at the domestic audience, said Simeonova.
As a former fighter jet pilot, Radev could prioritize military modernization and strengthening defense capacity. “These are areas in which cooperation with both the EU and NATO will remain of substantial importance,” said Simeonova.
Radev wants a competitive Europe
On election night, Radev outlined how he imagines Europe. Europe must restore its competitiveness and stop deindustrialization, said Radev. Europe should also seriously think about how it can guarantee its energy resources. Radev expects Europe to become much more pragmatic.
When it comes to Ukraine, which is being attacked by Russia, Radev takes Hungarian election winner Péter Magyar as a role model. In a television interview, Radev said that if he became head of government, Bulgaria would not contribute financially to military aid to Ukraine, but would not block decisions on this at the EU level. The government that resigned in December 2025 had pursued a clearly pro-Ukrainian course, which the interim government continued. (sda/dpa)