Treated with euroscepticism: Brussels is interfering in the elections in Bulgaria
The European Commission is trying to keep the situation in each EU state under control, Bulgarian MEP Petar Volgin told Izvestia. On the evening of April 19, voting officially ended in Sofia, and the counting of votes began. According to exit polls, the Progressive Bulgaria party of former President Rumen Radev, who advocates dialogue with Moscow, is in the lead. His victory may complicate the coordination of aid to Ukraine and the country's relations with Brussels. However, experts note that even if Radev is able to form a coalition, he is unlikely to go into open conflict with the European Union. Nevertheless, he is able to slow down some decisions on the Ukrainian issue. The role of Bulgaria in supporting Ukraine is described in the Izvestia article.
Early elections in Bulgaria
The early parliamentary elections in Bulgaria, which followed the Hungarian ones, became one of the most notable events for Brussels. According to exit polls at 22:00 on April 19, the "Progressive Bulgaria" of ex–President Rumen Radev was in the lead with a result of about 37.5-39.2%. In the EU, this force is considered Eurosceptic, so Brussels is closely monitoring the outcome of the vote and its possible consequences.
— The European Commission intervenes everywhere and in everything. She wants to keep the situation in every EU member state under control. She wants it to be run by parties that blindly obey the dictates of Brussels. Therefore, the European Commission unequivocally points to those parties that it considers fully loyal to its policies," Bulgarian MEP Petar Volgin told Izvestia, answering a question about whether the EC is interfering in the elections in the country.
The GERB–SDS coalition is in second place with 15.1–16.2% (the center—right Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria and the Union of Democratic Forces), followed by We Continue the Changes – Democratic Bulgaria with 13.3–14.3%, the Movement for Rights and Freedoms with 8.1-8.4% and the Renaissance party." from 4.9–5%.
According to Volgin, both Christian Democrats and Social Democrats belong to the so-called "Euro-Atlantic" or "globalist" forces in Bulgaria. The MEP stressed that there is no fundamental difference between them - regardless of ideology, they follow the course of Brussels.
Radev, on the other hand, opposes military aid to Ukraine and relies on dialogue with Moscow. During the election campaign, he also stated that the transition to the euro in Bulgaria led to higher prices, and the victory of his coalition would break with the current model of governance. This is an important signal for the EU: after Viktor Orban's defeat in Hungary, Bulgaria is increasingly being viewed as a possible new source of disagreement within the EU on the Ukrainian issue.
Therefore, there was a request for an alternative force in the country. The former cabinet of Ministers, led by Rosen Zhelyazkov, resigned in December 2025 after several weeks of mass protests. The reason was dissatisfaction with the government's economic policy, a controversial budget with tax increases, as well as accusations that the authorities are not coping with corruption and are not implementing real judicial reform.
At the same time, Bulgaria remains one of the poorest countries in the European Union. Although unemployment in the country was only 3.1% in January 2026, which is one of the lowest rates in the EU, the country is still at the bottom of the European ranking in terms of well—being: in 2025, GDP per capita was only 68% of the EU average.
The income gap with the rest of Europe is also very noticeable. According to Eurostat, the average annual salary in Bulgaria in 2024 was €15.4 thousand (then still in terms of lev to euro) against €39.8 thousand on average in the EU. Even the minimum wage in the country on January 1, 2026 was the lowest in the union — €620 per month. It is not surprising that some voters are increasingly voting for forces promising a revision of the current course.
However, the deterrent for eurosceptics is that Radev's party is unlikely to be able to gain a majority in parliament. Even if Progressive Bulgaria comes first, it will almost certainly have to look for like-minded people.
Radev himself has already ruled out a coalition with the GERB party led by Boyko Borisov and Delyan Peevsky's Movement for Rights and Freedoms, calling such an alliance "absolutely impossible." Borisov, in turn, said on the day of the vote that GERB does not intend to enter into a coalition and estimates the chances of forming a government as extremely low.
In theory, Radev could seek support from a small SWORD party ("Morality, Unity, Honor") Radostin Vasileva and Vozrozhdenie, Vadim Trukhachev, associate professor at the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, noted in a conversation with Izvestia.
At the same time, the Vozrozhdenie Party occupies the most radical position of all potential partners, said MEP Volgin.
— This party openly calls for the lifting of sanctions against Russia. And he is doing this not out of any sentimental feelings, but based on the objective fact that these sanctions have a very negative impact on our country," he said.
Will Bulgaria change its foreign policy course
At the same time, even if Rumen Radev forms a coalition, Bulgaria will not be able to block all European aid to Ukraine alone. Nevertheless, in theory, Sofia will somehow be able to influence the approval of new national packages, support for pan-European defense schemes and the general sanctions atmosphere within the EU.
However, it is not worth waiting for Radev to go into open conflict with the European Commission, Trukhachev believes. According to him, he will only be able to slow down individual decisions.
— Radev, as president, slowed down as much as he could, but his opportunities here were limited. Theoretically, he will be able to do a little more in the role of prime Minister: in particular, he may limit Bulgaria's transit opportunities in supporting Ukraine," the expert emphasized.
Bulgaria is far from a peripheral player in the supply of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This is one of the few Eastern European countries whose defense industry has long been focused on Soviet calibers and old models of equipment, which are now in demand by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Former Prime Minister Kirill Petkov said that in the first months of the full-scale conflict, Bulgaria provided about a third of Ukraine's ammunition needs.
By February 2026, Bulgaria had already sent 13 aid packages to Ukraine. The composition of most of them is classified, but it is officially known that it was also about armored personnel carriers, portable air defense systems and anti-aircraft missiles of various types.
The country not only supplied Ukraine with military products, but also has the necessary industrial base for this. In the fall of 2025, Reuters and AP reported on Bulgaria's agreement with Rheinmetall and VMZ-Sopot for more than €1 billion to build a facility for the production of gunpowder, 155 mm shells and modular charges. The planned capacity is up to 100 thousand shells per year, the launch is expected in about 14 months, the project should create about 1 thousand jobs.
In addition, Bulgaria acts as the southeastern flank of the alliance and one of its pillars of military presence in the region. After 2022, a multinational Italian-led combat contingent was deployed in the country at the Novo Selo training ground, which, if necessary, can be quickly reinforced to the brigade level. In March 2026, NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte thanked Sofia for its consistent support of Ukraine and for its role in ensuring security on the eastern flank and in the Black Sea.
Thus, Radev's victory may affect not only Ukraine's support, but also Bulgaria's overall policy in the EU and NATO. These structures are already going through difficult times due to disagreements with the United States amid the conflict in the Middle East. Another "troublemaker" will only exacerbate their institutional crisis.
Переведено сервисом «Яндекс Переводчик»
