Rumen Radev set to win Bulgarian Parliamentary election

Rumen Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria party is poised to win Bulgaria’s parliamentary election, securing around 45% of the vote with over 60% counted, according to the Central Electoral Commission. This result would give the party an absolute majority with at least 132 seats in the 240-seat parliament. Progressive Bulgaria outperformed the liberal PP-DB coalition, which received 15%, and former Prime Minister Boiko Borisov’s GERB party, which garnered 13%. The election marks Bulgaria’s eighth general vote in five years, called after mass protests erupted over a controversial budget proposal in December, which Radev supported. Radev, a former president and ex-commander of the Bulgarian Air Force, campaigned on promises to combat corruption and restore stable governance after years of fragile coalition governments. He resigned as president in January to launch his new political movement. Known for his pragmatic and somewhat pro-Russian stance, Radev has criticized EU sanctions on Russia and opposed Bulgarian military support for Ukraine, advocating for dialogue with Moscow. Despite his party’s strong showing, Radev acknowledged that Progressive Bulgaria does not have a sufficient mandate to govern alone and expressed intentions to seek coalition partners. Bulgaria plays a significant role as a supplier of ammunition and explosives to Ukraine, primarily through neighboring Romania. The ongoing war has revitalized Bulgaria’s arms industry, which had struggled since the Soviet era. Notably, the VMZ factory in Sopot produces explosives and NATO-standard artillery shells, and in 2025, German arms manufacturer Rheinmetall announced a €1 billion joint venture with VMZ to increase production capacity. While Radev opposes supplying weapons directly to Ukraine, he has supported efforts to boost Bulgaria’s defense industry and welcomed Rheinmetall’s CEO to Bulgaria earlier this year, highlighting the country’s strategic role in European military production efforts.