Bulgaria approves new government led by pro-Russian former President Radev

Former Bulgarian President Rumen Radev was officially appointed as Bulgaria's new Prime Minister on Thursday, cementing a landslide election victory that shattered a long period of political fragmentation in the country. This was reported by Politico, according to UNN.

Details

Radev's newly formed party, "Progressive Bulgaria," won the first single-party parliamentary majority since 1997 in the April 19 elections, ending years of unstable coalitions and repeat votes in the EU member state. On Thursday, Bulgaria's parliament confirmed his appointment as Prime Minister and approved the cabinet's composition.

The former president and air force commander built his campaign on criticism of the Bulgarian political establishment, accusing traditional parties of years of corruption, instability, and backroom deals. After five years of shifting coalitions and eight elections, Radev's "Progressive Bulgaria" movement has displaced the country's old political elite.

President Ursula von der Leyen congratulated Radev on Friday morning, writing on X that a "strong agenda for working together" awaits Europe, particularly in the areas of security and defense, competitiveness, and energy independence.

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Presenting his government on Thursday, Radev outlined key priorities for its work. According to him, the primary tasks will be combating skyrocketing prices, judicial reform, fiscal discipline, and accelerating the use of EU recovery funds before the established deadlines.

Radev's victory ended years of political stalemate in Bulgaria, while simultaneously providing his new government with the largest parliamentary mandate in nearly three decades.

Recall

Rumen Radev's coalition received 44.7% of the vote in the parliamentary elections. The politician opposes the supply of weapons to Ukraine and favors ties with Russia.