Rumen Radev and Boyko Borissov are competing in a vote that will shape Bulgaria’s relations with Brussels, Kiev and Moscow.
Bulgaria’s Rumen Radev and Boyko Borissov have cast their votes as the country is holding its eighth election in five years. Radev, who opposes EU aid to Ukraine, vows to break EU dominance
The election is another flashpoint in the battle between pro-EU and sovereigntist political forces in Europe. Borissov’s GERB-SDS party is aligned with Brussels’ foreign policy, and he reassured voters on Sunday that the party delivers “Full support to Ukraine.” Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria faction promises to balance relations between East and West, Radev has vowed to build a “Modern European Bulgaria,” “Pragmatic relations with Russia are based on mutual respect.”
Radev is a former fighter pilot who served as President of Bulgaria between 2017 and 2026. Borissov is the country’s longest-serving prime minister, holding office between 2009 and 2021. The pair clashed publicly during their overlapping tenures in power, with Radev supporting the 2020 anti-corruption protests that led to Borissov’s downfall.
As happened in Hungary last weekend, and earlier in France, Germany, Moldova and Romania, The EU has activated its ‘Rapid Response System’ in Bulgaria. This suite of online censorship tools gives the European Commission the power to remove so-called From social media platforms during elections.
