Bulgarian parliament confirms Rumen Radev as new prime minister

Published on 08/05/2026 - 17:40 GMT+2

Bulgaria’s parliament connected Friday formally approved Rumen Radev arsenic the caller premier curate successful a bid to extremity governmental instability and spur economical improvement successful the EU subordinate country.

“We person nary illusions astir the crises and trials facing the government, which volition soon beryllium seeking your enactment – galloping prices, budget, missing reforms, a terrible planetary vigor situation and escalating conflicts,” Radev told lawmakers.

The enclosure voted 124-70 with 36 abstentions to elite Radev, a 62-year-old erstwhile combatant pitchy pilot, arsenic premier minister.

Radev resigned from the mostly ceremonial relation of president successful January, a fewer months earlier the extremity of his 2nd term, to motorboat a bid to pb the authorities successful the much almighty relation arsenic premier minister.

Sofia’s erstwhile blimpish authorities collapsed successful December aft nationwide anti-corruption protests drew hundreds of thousands of chiefly young radical to the streets.

Radev’s popularity surged arsenic helium formed himself arsenic an hostile of the entrenched mafia and their ties to high-ranking politicians. At run rallies helium vowed to “remove the corrupt, oligarchic exemplary of governance from governmental power.”

His Progressive Bulgaria enactment scored a landslide triumph successful the 19 April parliamentary election, giving it an outright bulk – the archetypal successful Bulgaria since 1997 – with 131 seats successful the 240-seat legislature.

Radev earned a Master of Strategic Studies grade from the US Air War College successful Alabama successful 2003, earlier being appointed Bulgarian aerial unit commander.

His supporters are divided betwixt those hoping helium volition enactment an extremity to the country’s oligarchic corruption and those lining up down his Eurosceptic and Russia-friendly views.

Although Radev’s pro-Russian stance has raised concerns astir Bulgaria’s presumption successful European policymaking, with immoderate governmental analysts expect his aboriginal attack to stay moderate, dissimilar that of erstwhile Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.

This is mostly owed to Bulgaria, a mediocre federation of 6.5 cardinal people, remaining heavy reliant connected European funds. Radev’s authorities is expected to undertake a bid of reforms to unlock astir €400 cardinal successful European Union funds.