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‘Europe has fallen victim to its own ambition to be moral leader,’ Bulgarian election winner Radev says
The latest results, after more than 91% of votes were counted, confirm that Radev will have an absolute majority in the new parliament as he appears to be on course for some 130 seats in the 240-seat parliament.
AFP notes that the landslide victory marks the first outright parliamentary majority for a single formation in Bulgaria since 1997 when a centre-right, pro-European grouping won.
But in a sign of tensions to come, Radev said that “a strong Bulgaria and a strong Europe need critical thinking and pragmatism.”
“Europe has fallen victim to its own ambition to be a moral leader in a world with new rules,” he told reporters.
Guess we will have to wait and see what that means in practice.
Key events
Kremlin ‘impressed’ by Bulgarian election winner Radev’s call for pragmatic dialogue with Moscow
In one of the first reactions to the Bulgarian vote last night, the Kremlin has just said it was impressed by Radev’s words about pragmatic dialogue with Moscow, Reuters reported.
In full quotes reported by AFP, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said:
“Of course, the words of Mr Radev … as well as some other European leaders about their readiness to resolve problems through dialogue, appeal to us.”
During the campaign, Radev spoke about the need to engage more closely with Russia, prompting concerns about his future government’s approach to Moscow, including on energy imports.
Government crises loom in Romania and Slovenia
Meanwhile, it looks like we are likely to see government crises in Romania and Slovenia in the coming days and weeks…
Reuters reported that Romania’s Social Democrats are widely expected to withdraw their support for liberal prime minister Ilie Bolojan, likely ushering in months of political instability that will pressure debt, credit ratings and the receipt of EU funds.
Bolojan’s coalition government of four pro-European parties came together 10 months ago after a polarising presidential election in an attempt to keep the surging far right from power but they have constantly clashed over reform measures.
Reuters noted that as Bolojan has said he will not resign, the leftists would then pull their six ministers from the cabinet later this week, leaving the coalition without a parliamentary majority.
An early election would most likely see the far-right Alliance for Uniting Romanians decisively win the vote.
Meanwhile over in Slovenia, the country’s outgoing prime minister Robert Golob, whose party secured a razor-thin majority in last month’s parliamentary elections, said that he had failed to form a government and will work in the opposition.
He said he had not found a partner among the parties of the centre-right to join a potential governing coalition.
Golob’s failure to form a new government opens the door for runner-up Janez Janša, a close Trump ally, to return in his role as the country’s PM, AFP noted.
Radev’s win raises tricky questions for younger voters amid concerns about his EU policy
But as Eden Maclachlan reported in his correspondence from Sofia for us over the weekend, younger voters are not particularly convinced by Radev’s platform – which concerns he could prove to be another tricky partner in the bloc, like Viktor Orbán.
Here is what Eden wrote before the Sunday vote:
Compared by some to Viktor Orbán, Hungary’s recently defeated rightwing populist, Radev [was] leading in the polls, buoyed up by the support of older, rural voters who hope he can smash what he calls an “oligarchy” of corrupt veteran politicians.
For voters like Aleksandar Tanev, 22, Radev is not a credible option. The law student believes Radev, who resigned as president in order to run in this election, “is part of this same model” of politicians and “had the opportunity to use the caretaker governments to fight this mafia” as president but did not.
Dimitar Keranov, a Bulgarian fellow at the German Marshall Fund’s European resilience programme in Berlin, said voters were split along broadly generational lines.
“I don’t think [Radev] would be a straightforward vote for young Bulgarians, because I think he represents the same status quo young Bulgarians would like to see dismantled,” he said. “He’s representing the same old guard or the usual political elite.”
A victory for Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria (PB), a left-leaning but Moscow-friendly coalition, could prove another headache for Brussels and its allies just as the EU breathes a sigh of relief over Orbán’s demise.
On Wednesday, amid concern over the rising cost of living, Radev took aim at the previous government for its introduction of the euro “without asking” voters. “And now, when you pay your bills, always remember which politicians promised you that you would be in the ‘club of the rich’,” he said.
‘Europe has fallen victim to its own ambition to be moral leader,’ Bulgarian election winner Radev says
The latest results, after more than 91% of votes were counted, confirm that Radev will have an absolute majority in the new parliament as he appears to be on course for some 130 seats in the 240-seat parliament.
AFP notes that the landslide victory marks the first outright parliamentary majority for a single formation in Bulgaria since 1997 when a centre-right, pro-European grouping won.
But in a sign of tensions to come, Radev said that “a strong Bulgaria and a strong Europe need critical thinking and pragmatism.”
“Europe has fallen victim to its own ambition to be a moral leader in a world with new rules,” he told reporters.
Guess we will have to wait and see what that means in practice.
Morning opening: Eighth time is the charm
Jakub Krupa
Bulgarian ex-president Rumen Radev – an EU critic who has called for renewing ties with Russia – on Sunday hailed a “victory of hope” after his formation topped the eighth parliamentary elections in five years.
Projections from polling agencies put his Progressive Bulgaria (PB) grouping at 44%, which would give him an absolute majority of at least 129 seats in the 240-seat parliament.
This morning’s partial results – after over 80% votes counted – suggest the polls were broadly correct, raising hopes for a stable government in Bulgaria.
But there was little of the international enthusiasm that we saw a week ago in Hungary, with no European leaders taking to social media to congratulate the winner just yet.
Radev, Bulgaria’s president between 2017 and 2026, is a Eurosceptic, who regularly opposed further military support for Ukraine amid continuing Russian aggression, prompting some concerns that he could replace Hungary’s Viktor Orbán as tricky partner in the European Council.
But his focus is likely to be on domestic reforms and fight against corruption, as his foreign policy remains to be properly defined. On Sunday he declared that Bulgaria “would make efforts to continue on its European path” after joining the eurozone earlier this year.
I will bring you more on this during the day.
Separately, France’s Emmanuel Macron is expected in Poland where he will meet with the prime minister, Donald Tusk, and the Nobel prize winning former leader of the Solidarity movement, Lech Wałęsa.
Meanwhile, Brazil’s Lula is in Germany, meeting with the chancellor, Friedrich Merz, for talks on trade, among other things.
Hungary’s Orbán also suggested Ukraine could restore oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline as early as today.
The issue has been at the centre of tricky Hungarian-Ukrainian relations in recent months, and if confirmed, he suggested that he would be ready to drop the Hungarian block on the EU’s €90bn loan for Ukraine – even before Péter Magyar gets in in early May.
I will keep an eye on all of that and bring you the latest here.
It’s Monday, 20 April 2026, it’s Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live.
Good morning.
