In and out

On the Trojan horse: “To Brussels”

The light at the end of the tunnel? In Bulgaria, the newly formed Progressive Bulgaria (PB) coalition, led by former President Rumen Radev, has won the 19 April parliamentary elections with 44.72% of the vote (131 seats out of 240), far ahead of the conservative GERB-SDS party of former prime minister Boyko Borisov (13.38% of the vote, 39 seats) and the liberal PP-DB coalition (12.80% of the vote, 39 seats). By securing an absolute majority, Radev is in position to form the country’s first stable government in five years, making this a historic victory. 

Since 2021, Bulgaria has been mired in an institutional crisis marked by corruption and widespread distrust of those in power. Eight parliamentary elections have been held in quick succession, with each winning party promising to correct the mistakes of their predecessors and get the country back on track. In the space of a few weeks, Radev managed to rally an electorate demoralised by the country’s political crisis by promising to put an end to the political status quo and corruption.

Radev will also play a key role on the international stage: seen as pro-Russian, he advocates a return to “pragmatism”– particularly in economic matters – for the European Union. He has stated that the EU is “a hostage to its ambition for moral leadership”, especially in the context of the war in Ukraine and relations with Russia. 

Following Viktor Orbán’s historic defeat in the recent Hungarian elections, some critics are already raising concerns: will Radev take on the role of the former Hungarian prime minister by blocking EU measures, particularly those concerning the war in Ukraine? Uncertainty reigns: despite his past statements, Radev has promised not to use Bulgaria’s veto to block European decisions, and says he is eager to continue his country’s integration within the EU-27.