Photo: Jaap Arriens / Sipa USA / TASS
Bulgaria’s former President Rumen Radev – leader of the Progressive Bulgaria coalition winning the country’s parliamentary elections – said after voting in Sofia that he would seek respectful and equal relations with Russia.
“We finally need a path to a democratic, modern European Bulgaria,” Radev said, adding that he wanted to “develop practical relations with Russia based on mutual respect and equality.”
Early elections to Bulgaria’s National Assembly (unicameral parliament) are being held today, April 19. Results of exit polls are expected as polling stations close, and preliminary data may be published later on April 19 or 20.
“Progressive Bulgaria” is leading in the polls
According to polls AlphaResearch, Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria coalition leads with 34.2%, ahead of Boyko Borissov’s ruling GERB-SDS (19.5%). The pro-European alliance Continuing Change – Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB) is gaining 11.6%. A record turnout of up to 60% is expected (against 39% in 2024).
Borisov, head of Radev’s opposing GERB party, expressed support for Ukraine and emphasized his party’s success in European integration.
“The GERB party has brought the country into the eurozone, which now has a very strong anchor. I hope it will hold and not allow us to drift eastward,” he said after the vote, Reuters reported.
Radev quit over the protests
Radev stepped down as president in mid-January amid mass protests that began in the fall over economic policies and corruption. He had led the country since 2017, was re-elected in 2021 and constitutionally could not run for a third term. A month earlier, Rosen Zhelyazkov left the post of prime minister and Bulgaria was left with an interim government before joining the eurozone on January 1, 2026.
Protests erupted in mid-November after the release of the draft budget for 2026, which envisioned an increase in pension contributions by 2% and dividend tax to 10%. And on December 1, a rally of thousands took place in Sofia, which turned into clashes with police. The government withdrew the bill and softened the measures, but the protesters’ demands expanded to the resignation of the Cabinet.
It should be noted that Bulgaria is a democratic parliamentary republic, where the leading role belongs to the People’s Assembly, which forms the government. The country has been a member of NATO since 2004 and of the European Union since 2007. In recent years, European integration was completed by joining the Schengen space (2024) and the official transition to the euro from January 1, 2026.
