Campaign poster for Rumen Radev, leader of the Progressive Bulgaria coalition and former president, in Sofia, April 14, 2026. SPASIYANA SERGIEVA/REUTERS
Reflecting just how significant Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban's broad defeat on April 12 was for European politics, Bulgarians are preparing to vote in legislative elections on Sunday, April 19, marked by constant comparisons with Hungary's recent race. The centrist, pro-European coalition We Continue the Change, which organized a "Strong Bulgaria in a Strong Europe" march on April 16, called on Bulgarian voters to draw inspiration from the Hungarians "who chose democracy over authoritarianism," and to turn away from "the myth of the strong leader."
This phrase refers to the front-runner in Sunday's election, former president Rumen Radev, a man who theoretically emerged from the left but delivers ambiguous messages on Russia and openly admires Hungary's outgoing nationalist prime minister. "Orban taught everyone how to handle electoral defeat," the 62-year-old candidate praised on Wednesday. After resigning from the presidency in January, the former fighter pilot launched his legislative campaign as head of a new party he called "Progressive Bulgaria," highlighting the peculiar nature of Bulgaria's political scene, where the traditional concepts of left and right have largely lost their meaning.
