Description: Centre – left Progressive Bulgaria won approximately 44% of the votes in the country’s general election, positioning former president Rumen Radev to become the next prime minister. Bulgaria has experienced a wide – scale political turmoil in the past couple of years, staving off issues with corruption, cost of living crisis and turbulent foreign policy moves. Radev, a former fighter pilot, has won on campaign promising to tackle the country’s mounting issues with corruption, opposition towards adopting the euro as the official currency and a pragmatist attitude towards bilateral ties with Russia. He has also consistently criticized the EU’s Green Deal, defending his position that the Union was currently incapable of decoupling from fossil fuels. Radev also stated that Bulgaria would remain on its path within the EU while maintaining a relationship of convenience with Russia.
Impact: Radev’s victory is highly likely to deliver any meaningful and immediate legislative or political changes in the country, while the economic transformation and growth levels would likely prove difficult to tackle in the short to mid – term period. His campaigning has demonstrated that Radev would likely push for conservative reforms on the domestic level, targeting the high levels of corruption while remaining flexible in cooperating with Russia and the European Union. The country’s struggle with corruption and mounting cost of living expenses would also be likely high on Radev’s domestic agenda, while on the foreign policy field, Radev is likely to become a bridge of communication between Brussels and Moscow. Having garnered 44% of the votes, Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria party could opt to rule with a strong minority government or form a coalition with a smaller party, which would likely bolster its standing and enable Radev to push for the electoral reforms and foreign policy goals.