In France, the gilding of Matignon seems bland to its occupants compared to that of the Élysée Palace, the object of all desire. What Prime minister never dreamed of becoming president… 2,000 kilometers from Paris, it is however the opposite path that Roumen Radev has chosen to take. Installed at the head of Bulgaria since 2017, this 62-year-old former fighter pilot decided to resign at the start of the year to launch the legislative campaign. A successful poker move since he won the election with nearly 45% of the votes this Sunday, which places him on track to win some 130 seats out of the 240 in Parliament.
Enough to finally offer the country of 6.5 million inhabitants a little respite after years of instability. Since 2021, governments have fallen one after the other under pressure from a people tired of corruption and economic stagnation. In five years, Bulgarians have gone to the polls no less than eight times. Rumen Radev managed to convince all segments of the electorate – from pro-Russian nationalists to abstentionists – thanks to a heterogeneous center-left formation, called “Progressive Bulgaria”, with soldiers, former socialists and even athletes.
To defeat his main opponent, the former conservative Prime Minister Boïko Borissov, the tall guy with a bald head and the appearance of a boxer cultivated a singular image. That of a man in the system who claims to escape from it. An ambiguity that political scientist Romain Le Quiniou, a fine connoisseur of the region, summarizes for the Tangwall Campagin: the former head of state “managed to portray himself as the central person (…) most capable of implementing profound changes”while rising “above parties” and what he calls the political “cartel”. A rather clever positioning since he has, in fact, largely participated in the institutional workings in recent years, appointing several transitional governments.
A state dependent on the European Union
By presenting himself as a outsider Entering politics late, in 2016, after a military career, Rumen Radev can thus distance himself from the oligarchic practices that he denounces and which he is committed to eradicating. The moment of truth is approaching. For Romain Le Quiniou, “the first real test (…) will be the restructuring of the Attorney General »symbol of a judicial system running out of steam. The project is immense: the Superior Council of the Judiciary has been operating out of time for more than three years and several key positions, including that of attorney general, are occupied by temporary workers. So many blockages illustrate the institutional paralysis that the new Parliament will have to try to resolve.
On the international scene, the former general walks a narrow line. Critical of military aid to Ukraine and European energy policies, he pleads for a renewed dialogue with Moscow, while claiming the benefits of Bulgaria’s European anchoring. A posture which has earned him recurring accusations of pro-Russian complacency. What he doesn’t really hide… During his last campaign meeting, Rumen Radev projected an image of himself and Vladimir Putin on a giant screen. A friendship that he will have to keep discreet if he wants to maintain the support of his population.
The country’s trajectory remains generally oriented towards the West, insists Romain Le Quiniou. If this orientation coexists with a strong Russophile tradition, inherited from history, culture and persistent energy dependencies, EU funds are too precious in this poor territory of the Balkans, which has just adopted the euro as its currencyto turn away from his guardians. Ursula von der Leyen knows this well. And doesn’t seem worried one bit. The President of the European Commission spoke “glad to work” with Rumen Radev. “Bulgaria is an important member of the European family and plays an important role in solving our common challenges”she emphasized, in a publication on X this Monday.
