Bulgarians cast their ballots Sunday in the counattempt’s eighth snap election in five years, with former president Rumen Radev’s newly formed Progressive Bulgaria party projected to win about one-third of the vote. The election has sparked concerns across Europe that a Radev-led government could shift Bulgaria closer to Russia at a critical moment in the Ukraine conflict.
Boriana Dimitrova, head of pollster Alpha Research, informed the Financial Times: «The winner will be the newly formed party of former President Radev.» Opinion polls on Friday suggested his party would secure about 35% of the vote, far ahead of the second-place GERB party at roughly 18%.
Radev stepped down from the presidency in January specifically to run for prime minister. In an interview on a pro-Kremlin YouTube channel, he emphasized Bulgaria’s unique position in the EU: «We are the only member state of the European Union that is both Slavic and Eastern Orthodox.» He added: «We can be a very important link . . . to restore relations with Russia.»
European concerns
French liberal MEP Valérie Hayer, leader of the Renew Europe group, expressed alarm about the potential outcome. She informed the FT she was «very concerned» and warned: «Knowing Radev’s approach to Putin and Russia, there is a risk of a pro-Kremlin government at a critical moment — he would be Putin’s Trojan horse in Europe.»
Bulgaria’s strategic importance amplifies these concerns. «Bulgaria matters. It is not at the periphery but at the heart of the EU defence architecture — on the external border, it is strategically positioned on Europe’s front line,» Hayer stated. The counattempt produces significant ammunition for Ukraine and sits on a key energy supply route for central Europe.
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