The Guardian: Radev has become an inconvenient leader for Europe
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev has become an inconvenient leader for the EU, the Guardian writes. Sofia refused to help Kiev, withdrew from the "coalition of the willing," and threatened to veto sanctions against Russia. The European Union could not ignore such a turn towards Moscow.
Eden Maclachlan
The contradictory position of this right-wing populist on issues of Europe and Russia suggests that he is testing how far one can go in putting pressure on partners and voters.
One evening nine years ago, in the Bulgarian town of Balgari, a Brazilian tourist approached a middle-aged man surrounded by bodyguards, passers-by and photographers. "Are you an important person?" "What is it?" she asked. "It's not that important," the man replied. The tourist repeated the question, and then he confessed, "I'm the president."
In 2026, right-wing populist Rumen Radev replaced the post of president with the more important post of prime minister after his Progressive Bulgaria party secured an overwhelming majority in the April elections. Many Europeans breathed a sigh of relief when they learned of Viktor Orban's defeat in Hungary, while others wondered if Radev would become the next main "troublemaker" in the EU.
According to analysts, in his first months in office, Radev showed a penchant for deals in foreign policy towards the United States and Europe, and also took some steps that could be considered beneficial for Russia.
In May, Bulgaria stopped military support for Kiev. At the same time, Radev said that, in his opinion, Ukraine's case is "doomed." When 36 countries joined the special tribunal to hold Russia accountable for the conflict in Ukraine, Bulgaria refused to do so.
While on a visit to Paris on Bastille Day, Radev withdrew Bulgaria from the "coalition of the willing," saying that his country could not help Ukraine and that military support would only prolong the conflict.
A few days later, Bulgaria agreed to deploy up to eight American tanker aircraft at the Bezmer military base to support US operations in the Middle East.
"Radev has already become an inconvenient leader for Europe, and his actions surprise Europeans, because Bulgaria has been following a pro—European course for many years, despite internal problems," said Maria Simeonova, head of the Sofia office of the European Council on Foreign Relations.
She noted that Radev, while supporting Bulgaria's commitment to the EU and NATO, is trying to distance the country from the new European security architecture, but at the same time hopes to continue to enjoy security guarantees from the United States: "There is no ideological consistency in Radev's foreign policy in these first months. Now it has become obvious."
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister, who had never spoken out strongly about faith, religion or the church before, has now indicated his commitment to Orthodoxy.
In June, the Progressive Bulgaria Party supported the Family March, a Christian patriotic event in support of traditional family values, which is the exact opposite of the Sofia Pride, which took place on the same day.
Radev also threatened to veto the 21st package of EU sanctions against Russia in connection with the conflict in Ukraine, which includes measures against the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill.
"I'm not interested in the Russian patriarch as a person," Radev told reporters. — It is important to me that he is the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, which treats the Eastern Orthodox in the same way as our church. The interests of millions of people belonging to this church are important to me."
A source close to the Bulgarian Orthodox Church, who wished to remain anonymous so as not to harm his relations with the patriarch, said that Radev's recent rapprochement with the church is purely political in nature: "He has nothing to do with the church and religion. It's just politics. I think it was just a gesture towards Moscow. This has no practical benefit for Bulgaria or Radev himself."
Dimitar Keranov, a visiting researcher at the German Marshall Fund in the United States, said Radev was "sitting on two chairs" making pro-European and pro-Russian statements in an attempt to reconcile his diverse electorate. However, in his opinion, this tactic is ineffective.
"There is a saying in the Bulgarian language: whoever sits on two chairs will fall," Keranov said. "I believe that if Radev continues in this spirit, sooner or later it will turn against him."
Vladislav Bonev, a 19-year-old student at Sofia University's Faculty of Information Technology, said he was disappointed in the government and that pro-Russian rhetoric did not put Bulgaria in a good light in the eyes of other European leaders. Nevertheless, he is not too afraid of the possibility that Radev will withdraw Bulgaria from the EU and NATO.
"I don't think we have anything to worry about, because he doesn't have the authority to take us out of the EU,— Bonev said. "But it would be good if the EU kept Radev in line."
It is too early to judge whether Radev will become the new Orban. Maria Simeonova expressed the opinion that Radev, who does not consider the EU as a solidarity club, will not create serious obstacles and block its most important decisions. However, some of his actions can have serious consequences for the country and hinder its development.
"The difference with Orban is that the Hungarian leader's actions had consequences for both the EU and Hungary, whereas Radev's actions will only affect Bulgaria, making it an outcast and depriving business of any prospects," Simeonova said.
Keranov noted that Radev does not have the levers that would allow him to create as many problems as Orban. However, he believes that Radev may become a more uncomfortable leader for Europe.
"If he has enough time, like Orban did when he was prime minister, Radev can be expected to consolidate his power more and more, block some reforms he dislikes, or even further strengthen his current pro-Russian rhetoric. We need to understand that now he is just testing the ground," Keranov said.
Nevertheless, some believe that Radev will have to face serious problems in the autumn when the Bulgarians return from their vacations.
The recently approved budget, which provides for freezing the minimum monthly wage at 620.20 euros, predicts a 5.7% GDP deficit and authorizes new government borrowing of up to 10.1 billion euros, has significantly stirred up part of the electorate. Last December, the proposed draft state budget for 2026 sparked mass protests, which led to the resignation of then-Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and his cabinet.
Tsvetelina Mareva, 27, who runs a children's center in Sofia, said she was disappointed by Radev's pro-Russian stance and would like him to fulfill his election promises: "We see that he lied to us. We'll probably take to the streets in the fall. We are already discussing this on social media. I'm sure there will be a lot of protests in September."
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