Radev the pioneer

[asthfghl]

I know you don't care that much about this corner, and why would you, and yet... Here's a unique case:

Bulgaria's President Radev resigns amid speculation he will form his own party

Bulgaria right now feels like it's in a never-ending political loop. After massive protests over corruption and a government forced to resign just before the holidays, party leaders have failed to form a stable cabinet, and we're staring down our 8th national election in just 5 years. Figures like Boyko Borisov and oligarch-linked powerbrokers such as Delyan Peevski still dominate headlines and public ire, and trust in institutions is at an all-time low.

Enter president Radev*, who has positioned himself against that morass. He's been vocal about fighting corruption, pushing back against the old party networks that seem to keep re-emerging. On foreign policy he's been a bit of a mixed bag, but he's not shy about opposing military aid to Ukraine, and he's repeatedly critiqued both internal corruption and external pressure from oligarchic interests. While he's shown some skepticism about things like the Euro (he insisted on a referendum before adopting it earlier this year, which was never granted), his broader rhetoric has been about democratization. However he's generally seen as mildly pro-Russia, and Euro-skeptic.

What's really extraordinary here, and this is point no one else has to wink at to understand, is that this is basically unprecedented anywhere: a sitting president resigning mid-term with the apparent goal of forming his own party and running in an early parliamentary election. No major comparative example comes close to this exact combination of moves (I've checked extensively). Leaders leave office to run for other positions sometimes, but not like this, not with this much direct political momentum and not when the presidency had been smack in the centre of national debates.

Looking forward, I think Bulgaria is at a tipping point right now. The (now former) president said it himself: this is the first point in recent history when Bulgarians have stopped wanting to just flee to greener pastures, now they prefer to stay and push back against the powers that be instead. So if Radev's new party manages to cause a major shake-up and break the old clientelistic game, it could finally give voters a real alternative and maybe force a stable, reform-oriented majority. On the other hand, the familiar networks could absorb or repel this challenge, dragging us back into fragmentation. Personally, as someone who wants a strong Bulgaria within Europe, anti-corruption reforms, a pro-EU, pro-Euro trajectory and clear support for Ukraine, I see this as a moment where either we could turn a corner or fritter this rare opportunity away. The next few months are going to be incredibly decisive.

* the president has the same surname as myself, LOL! I swear we're not related!

Comments

[luzribeiro]

So let me get this straight: the president quits being president, starts a party, and jumps into snap elections because the whole system is stuck on repeat? I don’t understand Bulgarian politics at all, but I can’t stop reading. Please continue.