Global media outlets and news agencies comment on Rumen Radev’s resignation

The news of President Rumen Radev’s resignation on January 19, 2026, has been covered by major global media outlets.

Associated Press described the resignation as an “unprecedented act” in Bulgaria’s post-communist history and highlighted that Radev’s decision comes amid a “prolonged political crisis” and against the backdrop of mass anti-corruption protests.

• Political parties await Rumen Radev on the political arena

• President Rumen Radev announces that he is stepping down

Reuters noted that ''Radev, who was due to hold the largely ceremonial post until January 2027, has repeatedly had to appoint interim governments, raising his profile and his own political ambitions''.

''While he has condemned military aggression against Ukraine, Radev has consistently opposed military aid to Ukraine'', wrote the Kyiv Independent.

According to The Washington Post, the president is attempting to take advantage of the institutional vacuum and unite “disillusioned voters.”

Bloomberg focused on institutional stability, highlighting that Iliana Iotova will become Bulgaria’s first female president and will need to oversee the appointment of a new caretaker prime minister under the country’s new constitutional rules.

Edited by Ivo Ivanov

Translated by Kostadin Atanasov