President Radev’s resignation comes in response to strong public expectations

“For the last time, I am addressing you as President of the country,” the Bulgarian head of state Rumen Radev announced in an extraordinary address to the nation from the Coat of Arms Hall of the presidential institution. In Bulgaria’s 36-year democratic history, such a precedent has occurred for the second time, following July 6, 1990, when, at the dawn of democratic change, Petar Mladenov, in his role as Chairman-President, stepped down after student protests demanding political reforms. A second similar case concerns Vice President Blaga Dimitrova, who resigned in 1993 due to disagreements with the first democratically elected head of state, Zhelyu Zhelev.

President Rumen Radev announces that he is stepping down

The procedure in such cases stipulates that after the Constitutional Court establishes the resignation of the head of state, the functions of president are assumed by Vice President Iliana Iotova, who must take the oath of office before the National Assembly within a few days.

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Talking to Radia Bulgaria, sociologist Parvan Simeonov from the Myara Agency jokingly described Bulgaria as “the most interesting place in the world”. His arguments also reveal facts from history:

“We had an anointed Tsar who became prime minister (Simeon Saxe-Coburg-Gotha – ed.), now a sitting president is entering the active political arena – in general, we are a place of political innovation. The signal we are sending is that intolerance toward the political class is very strong. Radev is simply responding to serious public expectations and may turn out to be one of the last options for a ‘system insider’ who seeks change. In Bulgaria there are many formations that want change, but few that offer both change and a working system. ‘We Continue the Change–Democratic Bulgaria’ (PP-DB) is partly such a coalition, but the other similar place, in my view, will be precisely Rumen Radev.”

“What we heard from Mr. Radev’s address is that he does not deny Bulgaria’s achievements in foreign policy and in terms of European integration. The main emphasis and problem the country is currently facing, according to him, is the fight against oligarchy and corruption. Here comes the very interesting moment of what things look like not so much during local campaigning as in the clash with political reality,” commented Member of Parliament and former Speaker of the National Assembly, lawyer Natalia Kiselova, in an interview for Bulgaria ON AIR TV. “I wish Mr. Radev success, because I believe in his sincere intentions, but what things look like from the outside is not the same as being inside the political elite.”

“The president’s entry as one of the players on the political field was expected by some people with the idea of supporting him,” notes sociologist Genoveva Petrova from the Alpha Research agency in an interview for bTV.

“We have a survey from the end of last year that conditionally measured the potential of such a political formation led by Mr. Radev. I would say that its potential was shaping up within boundaries similar to the support that GERB and PP-DB would receive separately at that moment (the first two parliamentary forces in the 51st National Assembly – ed.). We are yet to see whether support for him will remain within the framework of political forces that appear to be a potential reservoir – ‘Vazrazhdane,’ MECH, and ‘Velichie’ – parties that in 2025 repeatedly expressed positions close to those of President Rumen Radev, or whether he will manage to go beyond the limits of this body and attract the support of both non-voters and part of the supporters of PP-DB coalition, because just last week, in a statement of his, he said that he was addressing people who position themselves both on the left and on the right, i.e., he is trying to open the fan as wide as possible and attract the broadest possible support.”

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Interest in participating in Rumen Radev’s political project is anticipated by the former chairman of the Strategic Council formed during the president’s first term, Alexander Marinov, speaking to the Bulgarian National Radio:

“Various kinds of people will see an opportunity in Radev, and the influx will be very large. What matters is whether these people have the necessary qualities and whether they do not carry any compromising characteristics; the issue is not whether they come from other parties. … It would be best if those who join him contribute to the party, rather than drawing from his personal rating,” commented Prof. Marinov.

Rumen Radev leaves the presidency with a relatively high approval rating (just under 50%) and with a pledge to dismantle the corrupt model of governance in the country - the main demand of the mass protests across Bulgaria at the end of 2025. Therefore, forecasts suggest that his participation in early parliamentary elections could place him at the head of the race as the leading political force in the 52nd National Assembly, although it is still uncertain whether this would also mean the ability to achieve a parliamentary majority of more than 120 MPs.

Political parties await Rumen Radev on the political arena

Photos: BTA, BGNES, Adriana Kiselincheva

English version: R. Petkova