"Dialogue with Russia "must be restored" – Bulgarian election winner Rumen Radew, leader of Progressive Bulgaria, called for more "critical reasoning and pragmatism" in EU abroad policy '

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Rumen Radew talks to the media at the polling station in Sofia, Bulgaria, April 19, 2026. © Getty Images / Jaap Arriens/NurPhoto

The Bulgarian parliamentary election winner, Rumen Radew of the Progressive Bulgaria Party, appealed for the restoration of dialog with Russia. The erstwhile president led the recently formed leftist populist organization to a crushing victory, based on a program of critical dialog with Brussels and pragmatism towards Moscow.

In an interview with journalists after the first exit polls showed a decisive advantage of his party, sceptical towards the EU Radew said Bulgaria would stay "on a European road", but argued that both Sofia and the EU request "more critical thinking" in abroad policy.

"Ask [President of France Emmanuel] Macron, Prime Minister of Belgium, ask another European leaders, including Chancellor [German] [Friedrich] Merz, who said that this dialog [with Russia] must be restored" said Radew, stressing that commitment is essential to form Europe's future safety architecture and halt its deindustrialisation.

"If we want Europe to have real strategical autonomy...

Europe needs to think very seriously about how it will safe its resources, due to the fact that without energy resources we cannot talk about competitiveness" – added.

Radew argued that the block had undermined its position by pursuing moral leadership in a planet that he described as a planet without rules, and now needs a more applicable policy.

According to preliminary results, at 96.4% of the votes on Monday morning, Progressive Bulgaria Radeva won 44.7% of the vote, well ahead of the dominant GERB-SDS organization for a long time erstwhile Prime Minister Boyko Borisov with a score of 13.4%, and PP-DB erstwhile Prime Minister Andrei Gjurov loses 12.9%.

To form a government, organization or coalition must win at least 121 seats in the 240-member National Assembly.

Preliminary forecasts propose that Progressive Bulgaria has already crossed this threshold, scoring about 131-134 seats, which is adequate to regulation without coalition.

Radew defined the consequence as "the triumph of hope over distrust", saying that his organization overcame the voters' apathy, but admitted that distrust of politicians inactive exists.

He announced that he would comment on the creation of a government or possible coalition talks after the final results were announced.

These votes are the eighth elections in Bulgaria in 5 years.

The country has been in a state of political dysfunction with unpopular temporary governments since 2021, erstwhile Borisov resigned in connection with corruption scandals.

Although Progressive Bulgaria was created little than 2 months ago, Radew is an experienced politician, serving as president from 2017 to January, erstwhile he stepped down to run for Prime Minister, promising to break the deadlock and fight corruption.

Radew, a loud critic of EU policy towards Ukraine, opposed Bulgaria's embargo on Russian energy, blocked the plan to send armored vehicles to Ukraine in 2022 and argued that there was no military solution to the conflict.

Translated by Google Translator

source:https://www.rt.com/news/638749-radev-bulgaria-dialogue-russia/

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