Bulgarian President Rumen Radev said on Monday (19 January) that he will resign from office, a move that has fuelled speculation he may form a political party ahead of upcoming parliamentary elections.
Speaking publicly, Radev said he would submit his resignation on Tuesday (20 January), bringing an early end to a presidency that was due to run until January 2027.
He accused Bulgaria’s political class of betraying public trust and said the country needed a new political contract, warning that democracy would not survive if left in the hands of what he described as corrupt figures and extremists.
Radev, who has expressed scepticism about Bulgaria's recent move to join the euro and has taken Kremlin-friendly positions on the war in Ukraine and on sanctions against Russia, was elected president in 2016 and again in 2021.
But he has long floated the possibility of forming his own party to bring stability and fight graft in one of the European Union's poorest and most corrupt countries.
“Today’s political class has betrayed Bulgarians’ hopes," he said in a speech. "We need a new public contract."
If the resignation is approved by the Constitutional Court, Radev will be replaced by Vice President Iliana Iotova, who would serve as interim head of state until presidential elections in November.
His decision comes amid a prolonged political crisis, with Bulgaria heading towards its eighth parliamentary election in four years following the collapse of the previous government last month.
Analysts say that while Radev has popular support, he is unlikely to win an outright majority if he forms a new party and runs in elections.
A nationwide poll published last week by Bulgarian consultancy Market Links said that 44% of respondents trusted Radev, versus 34% who did not.
Market Links Managing Director Dobromir Zhivkov said Radev would likely get somewhere between 20% and 35% of the votes in a parliamentary election and would have to seek a coalition partner, which could be the reformist PP-DB party.
PP-DB will likely be uncomfortable with Radev's Kremlin-friendly stance against sending military aid to the war effort in Ukraine, which he has described as "doomed". His scepticism about joining the euro, which Bulgaria did on 1 January, could also be a sticking point.
China’s Belt and Road Initiative recorded its strongest year since launch in 2025, with Chinese investment a...
Reports that Emmanuel Macron planned to cross from Armenia into Türkiye via their closed border - and was reportedly blocked following co...
Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar signed its first export agreement on Wednesday for...
As diplomatic talks over a possible U.S.–Iran framework agreement continue, analysts are assessing how any deal could alter security dynamics...
Two Chinese-British dual nationals have been found guilty by a London court of spying for China. Chung Biu “Bil...
China’s Belt and Road Initiative recorded its strongest year since launch in 2025, with Chinese investment and construction activity surging across Asia, Africa and the Middle East despite years of criticism that the programme was losing momentum.
Turkish drone manufacturer Baykar signed its first export agreement on Wednesday for the newly unveiled Bayraktar Kızılelma unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
As diplomatic talks over a possible U.S.–Iran framework agreement continue, analysts are assessing how any deal could alter security dynamics across the Middle East.
Two Chinese-British dual nationals have been found guilty by a London court of spying for China. Chung Biu “Bill” Yuen, 65, and Chi Leung “Peter” Wai, 40, targeted prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activists living in the UK, whom they referred to as “cockroaches.”
The U.S military said it carried out retaliatory strikes on Iran on Thursday (7 May). Meanwhile, Iran's Joint Military Command accused the U.S. of breaching the ceasefire, by striking an Iranian oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz and launching attacks on several Iranian cities.
U.S. President Donald Trump said that Iran wanted to negotiate and make a deal in comments to reporters on Wednesday (6 May). But earlier, he warned Washington would ramp up attacks if no agreement was reached.
Argentinian authorities are reconstructing the journeys of Dutch citizens who presented with symptoms of deadly hantavirus after visiting Argentina and Chile as part of a luxury cruise trip, the country's Health Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday (6 May)
The 61st Venice Biennale has opened under grey skies and political tension, with disputes over Russia and Israel, resignations on the jury, and protests marking the start of one of the art world’s most high-profile events.
Latvian authorities said two drones entered NATO member Latvia from Russian territory and crashed on Thursday morning, with officials linking them to Ukraine’s wider drone operations against targets in Russia.
China’s Belt and Road Initiative recorded its strongest year since launch in 2025, with Chinese investment and construction activity surging across Asia, Africa and the Middle East despite years of criticism that the programme was losing momentum.
Two Chinese-British dual nationals have been found guilty by a London court of spying for China. Chung Biu “Bill” Yuen, 65, and Chi Leung “Peter” Wai, 40, targeted prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activists living in the UK, whom they referred to as “cockroaches.”
The World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed five of eight suspected hantavirus cases linked to the luxury cruise ship MV Hondius. The U.N. health agency warned on Thursday (7 May) that more infections could emerge because of the virus’s long incubation period.
A group of Australian women and children detained for years in Kurdish-run camps in northeastern Syria due to links to Islamic State are expected to arrive in Australia on Thursday evening.
A South Korean appeals court on Thursday reduced former Prime Minister Han Duck-soo’s prison sentence from 23 years to 15 years over his role in ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol’s brief imposition of martial law in 2024.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment