Former Bulgarian president Rumen Radev in Sofia, April 19, 2026. DIMITAR KYOSEMARLIEV/AFP
Bulgaria had not seen an electoral victory like this since 1997. With more than 90% of votes tallied, former president Rumen Radev came out far ahead in the parliamentary elections held Sunday, April 19, in the country of 6.5 million inhabitants, with about 44.7% of the vote.
On course to gain around 130 of 240 seats in Parliament, Radev has secured an outright majority, allowing him to form the first stable government in Bulgaria in five years. Bulgaria has held eight parliamentary elections since 2021 due to a highly fragmented political landscape. Voter turnout reached just under 50%, a high figure for Bulgaria.
"We have won a decisive victory; citizens have rejected the arrogance and self-satisfaction of the former parties," Radev declared, speaking briefly to the press in Sofia on Sunday evening. The 62-year-old former fighter pilot is expected to become prime minister in May, after serving two terms as president between 2017 and early 2026. A former member of the Communist Party, he has often taken ambiguous positions on Russia, saying that Crimea "is Russian" and criticizing European sanctions introduced in response to the war in Ukraine.
