Rumen Radev named Bulgaria’s new prime minister after election victory
Rumen Radev, following his landslide victory in last month’s parliamentary elections, was named Bulgaria’s prime minister on Thursday, inheriting significant political challenges.
Rumen Radev’s election marks the first outright majority for a single party in Bulgaria since 1997, potentially enabling long-term institutional stability amid ongoing corruption challenges.
“(Through the vote, Bulgarians) confirmed their desire for stable institutions and for the defence of freedom, democracy and justice,” said Rumen Radev after his election as prime minister.
Key developments
Rumen Radev has been named Bulgaria’s new prime minister following his decisive victory in last month’s parliamentary elections, signalling potential stability after eight elections in five years.
Radev aims to combat corruption and reform the judicial system, crucial for unlocking nearly €400 million in European Union funds. He is expected to face challenges with rising inflation as well.
EU critic Rumen Radev named new Bulgarian prime minister
Published on •Updated
The winner of Bulgaria’s parliamentary elections last month, Rumen Radev, was named the country’s new prime minister on Thursday. His landslide win in last month’s parliamentary election raises hopes for a stable government in the Balkan nation, which has seen eight elections in the space of five years.
Radev ran on a ticket focused on fighting corruption and “cleaning up” what he described as Bulgaria’s “oligarchic model”. Radev, who resigned earlier this year as president to participate in the election, is a staunch EU critic, and has campaigned on resuming dialogue with Russia.
“(Through the vote, Bulgarians) confirmed their desire for stable institutions and for the defence of freedom, democracy and justice,” said Radev after receiving the mandate to govern from President Iliana Iotova.
The 62-year-old former fighter pilot also presented his cabinet line-up on Thursday.
Radev inherits a series of challengese, including drafting a 2026 budget, addressing rising inflation and reforming a paralysed judicial system.
He must also undertake a series of reforms, particularly against corruption, to unlock nearly €400 million in funds from the European Union. Radev and his cabinet members are set to be confirmed by parliament on Friday.
Last month’s election delivered the first outright majority for a single formation in Bulgaria since 1997.
The poor Balkan nation of 6.5 million people has been plagued with political crises since anti-corruption rallies rocked the country in 2021, bringing down the conservative administration of long-time pro-European leader Boyko Borissov.
The latest conservative-backed government resigned last year after a series of anti-graft protests, which Radev supported. Bulgaria ranks as the EU’s most corrupt country alongside Hungary in Transparency International’s corruption perception index.
Additional sources • AFP