Turning points in time: supporters of dialogue with the Russian Federation may come to power in Bulgaria

Bulgaria is expecting the creation of a new party under the leadership of President Rumen Radev, which has every chance of winning the elections and improving relations with the Russian Federation. This was stated to Izvestia by Bulgarian MEP Petar Volgin. According to him, the president's political force may form an alliance with the Renaissance party after early parliamentary elections. Amid the protests and the resignation of the government, the Bulgarian president remains perhaps the only politician who has retained his political capital. He consistently opposes aid to Ukraine and supports normalization of relations with Russia. However, Brussels will make every effort to prevent Sofia from withdrawing from the confrontation with Moscow, experts believe.

Will there be a new party in Bulgaria

The political crisis continues in Bulgaria. The mass protests that began in late November, provoked by the government's plans to raise taxes and pension contributions, did not end even after the resignation of Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov on December 11. Now the protesters are demanding early parliamentary elections. There are also calls for lustration and reform of the judicial system.

According to the Bulgarian Constitution, after the resignation of the government, the president of the country must consistently grant the right to form a new cabinet to the three largest parliamentary factions. Currently, the largest parliamentary group in the Bulgarian National Assembly is the pro—European GERB party, which has 66 seats out of 240. In second place is the centrist movement "We Continue the Changes" with 36 deputies, and in third place is the far—right party "Renaissance", which has 33 mandates.

However, they have almost no chance of reaching an agreement. If none of them can secure majority support, the country will face early parliamentary elections, the eighth in five years. They will most likely take place in the spring of 2026. The key question is who will be able to harness the energy of protest in these early elections.

Bulgaria is expecting the emergence of a new political force — the party of President Rumen Radev. She has every chance of winning and can form a coalition with the Renaissance party, Bulgarian MEP Petar Volgin told Izvestia.

— It is expected that the new party of the current president Rumen Radev will finally appear in these early elections. If this happens, it can succeed, but it will not be enough for independent management. It seems most logical that after the elections she will form a ruling coalition with the Renaissance party," the MEP said.

Izvestia sent a request to the press service of the Bulgarian president with a request to clarify whether Rumen Radev intends to create his own party.

Radev is serving a second term, which expires in 2026. The president enjoys some public support: in 2021, the politician won 66.7% of the vote in the general election.

During the recent protests, Radev supported the protesters, calling on the government to resign. Vadim Trukhachev, an associate professor at the Financial University, noted in an interview with Izvestia that the population has fewer questions for the Bulgarian president than for politicians who have compromised themselves.

— There is a possibility that he will lead the Socialist Party, breathe new life into it. Let's see if he uses it," the expert said.

The Socialist Party supported Radev in the presidential elections in 2016 and 2021, and its representative was elected vice president together with him. However, it is possible that Radev will decide to create his own party. The Socialists have only 19 seats in the current parliament, so the creation of a new party will avoid association with the old political forces.

Coming and going: Bulgaria plunged into a political crisis

How will the government's resignation affect relations with Russia

How can relations between Bulgaria and Russia change

If Radev creates his own party and, having achieved success in the parliamentary elections, forms a coalition with Vozrozhdenie, this may affect relations between Russia and Bulgaria, Petar Volgin noted.

— Both Rumen Radev and Vozrozhdenie advocate the development of friendly relations with Russia, and not for sanctions and denial of everything Russian. If the coalition I am talking about really takes place, I expect a significant improvement in relations between the countries," the politician said.

Indeed, Radev has repeatedly publicly opposed the provision of military assistance to Ukraine and even used his veto power (which the country's parliament overcame) to block the agreement on the gratuitous transfer of armored vehicles to Kiev. He also tried to prevent the introduction of external asset management of Lukoil in November 2025.

"Russia cannot be a model of development, but it cannot be our enemy, at least because in the memory of Bulgarians it is the liberator of our people," the politician said during the presidential campaign in 2021.

At the same time, Rumen Radev cannot be considered a pro-Russian politician. For example, he does not object to Bulgaria's membership in NATO. Rather, he is a moderate leader whose position is close to that of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, especially since they are both left—wing politicians, Vadim Trukhachev emphasized.

Leftovers are sweet: Bulgaria may become the last new member of the eurozone

Sofia will join the monetary union in January, but there is no enthusiasm about it.

At the same time, Bulgaria plays an important role in supplying Ukraine with weapons. The media reported that in the spring of 2022, the country provided up to a third of Kiev's ammunition needs by transferring 52-millimeter and 122-millimeter artillery shells, mines, as well as hand-held anti-tank and rocket-propelled grenade launchers. The Bulgarian territory is also used as a transit route for NATO weapons.

For this reason, the EU leadership will try to prevent even moderate forces from coming to power in Bulgaria, experts believe. Vladimir Shapovalov, Deputy Director of the Institute of History and Politics at Moscow State University, recalled that at the end of 2024, after the victory of the eurosceptic and opponent of aid to Ukraine Calin Giorgescu in the first round of the Romanian presidential election, their results were canceled. He was no longer allowed to run for re-election, and the pro-European candidate Nikushor Dan won.

— In the case of Bulgaria, the same scenario is possible, that is, massive external interference from Brussels, which will be aimed at weakening the positions of the eurosceptics. The EU will not allow the strengthening of the positions of supporters of normalization of relations with Russia, at the moment it is unlikely," Shapovalov stressed.

Brussels and Western countries have enough tools to interfere in the electoral process. In particular, after the elections in Romania, Telegram founder Pavel Durov said that the management of the messenger had received a request from French intelligence with a request to block accounts belonging to representatives of conservative forces. And before the parliamentary elections in Moldova in September 2025, an entire delegation of EU leaders arrived in the country, who were actually campaigning in favor of pro-European forces.