The center-left party of the pro-Russian Rumen Radev, Progressive Bulgaria, has so far won 44.7% of the vote in Bulgaria’s parliamentary elections (with 91.7% of ballots counted), leaving behind the liberal PP-DB coalition (15%) and GERB, the party of former prime minister Boyko Borisov (13%). It may still secure an outright majority, although Radev has stated he is open to cooperating with PP-DB.
The country went to the polls after mass protests triggered by the previous conservative government’s attempt to pass a controversial budget in December. These were the eighth elections in five years, with voter turnout reaching 48.5%.
The country went to elections following protests triggered by the government’s attempt to pass a controversial budget in December.
The 62-year-old Radev is a former air force chief and served as the country’s president for nine years. He resigned from the post in January to form a new party and won the elections by promising to fight corruption, provide stable governance, and build a “strong Bulgaria in a strong Europe.”
He has criticized EU sanctions against Russia and opposes direct Bulgarian military support for Ukraine. Since 2022, he has repeatedly opposed the sale of Bulgaria’s Soviet-era weapons stockpiles to Ukraine, arguing that this would prolong a war Ukraine cannot win. However, according to the BBC, he is not expected to block EU aid to Ukraine as Viktor Orbán did.
Πηγές: BBC, Deutsche Welle
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