Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev to resign amid political uncertainty

Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev to resign amid political uncertainty
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev delivers an address to the nation at the Presidency, Sofia, Bulgaria, January 19, 2026.
Reuters

Bulgaria’s President Rumen Radev said on Monday that he will resign from office, fuelling speculation that he may form his own political party ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections.

Radev said he will submit his resignation to the Constitutional Court on Tuesday. If approved, Vice-President Iliana Iotova would assume the role until presidential elections scheduled for November.

His decision comes as Bulgaria faces deep political instability, with the country heading towards its eighth parliamentary election in four years following the collapse of the previous coalition government last month. The fragmented political landscape has repeatedly prevented the formation of durable governing coalitions.

Radev, a former air force commander elected president in 2016 and re-elected in 2021, has played an increasingly prominent role during the crisis by appointing multiple interim governments. 

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