Bulgarian President Rumen Radev announced his resignation on the 19th of January, sparking speculation that he plans to launch a new party to run in upcoming snap elections, Reuters reports.
Radev, who was due to serve until January 2027, said he would submit his resignation on the 20th of January. If confirmed, his place would be taken by Bulgarian Vice President Iliana Iotova until the presidential election in November.
Radev has expressed skepticism about the country joining the eurozone and has taken a Kremlin-friendly stance on the war in Ukraine and sanctions against Russia. He was first elected in 2016 and then re-elected in 2021. The politician has long toyed with the idea of forming a new party to fight corruption and bring stability to the European Union’s poorest country. He said in his speech that today’s politicians have betrayed the hopes of Bulgarians.
The Bulgarian president has resigned at a time when the country has been in a political crisis for years, and now the eighth election in four years is expected. The sharply fragmented parliament creates a situation in which the winners of the elections cannot secure a majority and are unable to form a stable coalition. The last government, which resigned in December, was in power for less than a year. Since none of the politicians he addressed undertook to form a new government,
snap elections are expected in the near future.
Radev has not commented on the possibility of forming a new political force, and it is not clear whether he plans to do so before the upcoming elections. However, Tihomir Bezlov, a researcher at the Center for the Study of Democracy, pointed out that this could be a good opportunity for Radev to become a savior in the midst of chaos. Voters’ faith in the current political forces in parliament, which are largely made up of political veterans, including former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, has been undermined. A recent Alpha Research poll shows that voters are disappointed in politicians and would support a new party.
Experts have pointed out that, despite public support, Radev is unlikely to win a majority if he establishes a new party and runs in the elections. According to polls, Radev could win between 20 and 35% of the vote, which means that a coalition partner would have to be sought, which could be the reformist PP-DB party. However, there are many uncertainties in this option – a potential coalition partner is unlikely to be enthusiastic about Radev’s pro-Kremlin stance and Euroscepticism.
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