Radev speaks to reporters at a polling station in Sofia on Sunday. Photo by Michaela Vatcheva /Photographer: Michaela Vatcheva/

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(Bloomberg) — Former President Rumen Radev, who opposes sanctions against Russia and military aid for Ukraine, claimed an overwhelming victory in Bulgaria’s election and pledged to turn the page on years of political gridlock and corruption. 

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In the country’s eighth general election since 2021, Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria party is heading for an outright majority with 129 seats in the 240-strong chamber, according to a projection by polling firm Alpha Research. Radev is on track to secure 44% of the vote, putting him 30 points ahead of his nearest challenger, former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, who conceded defeat. 

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“Progressive Bulgaria wins unequivocally,” Radev, 62, told reporters in Sofia after the projections were published. “This is a victory of hope over distrust. This is a victory of freedom over fear. And finally, this is a victory, if I may say so, of morality.”

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Radev, the country’s most popular politician, stepped down as head of state in January in order to enter the race after another wave of demonstrations brought down a fragile coalition led by Borissov’s Gerb party. Vowing to fight what he called a corrupt elite typified by Borissov, he gathered support from across the political spectrum with promises to clean up the Bulgarian courts, to boost the incomes of working-class voters, and to build bridges with the Kremlin.

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Speaking to reporters late on Sunday, he argued that the EU needs to focus on competitiveness to stop the erosion of its industries, and to do that it needs to secure cheap energy supplies — a clear nod toward Russia. 

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“What Europe needs right now is critical thinking, pragmatic action and results, especially building a new security architecture and recovering its industrial power and competitiveness,” he told reporters after the projections were released. “That will be the main contribution of Bulgaria to its European mission.”

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With the defeat of Viktor Orban in Hungary a week ago, the Kremlin has just lost its most important supporter within the EU and it’s not clear if Radev would be prepared to try to shift the emphasis of EU policy toward Moscow. He’s also said he wants to strengthen the EU and NATO. 

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The former air force general, who trained in the US, brought disillusioned voters back to the polls after years of near-record low levels of participation. Turnout on Sunday is set to hit 51%, the pollster said, compared with 38% at the last election in October 2024. 

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The European Union’s poorest member state has been locked in political deadlock since anti-graft protests five years ago which end Borissov’s dominance of the country’s politics. Borissov’s party is running second at about 14% and 40 seats.

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The third placed party is a pro-EU, anti-corruption alliance that is set to win about 12% of the vote and 36 seats. Radev has regularly criticized the alliance for supporting Borissov’s various administrations but remained open to a potential coalition with the group during the campaign.

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In any case, Radev is likely to need its support for his first major initiative once he takes power. The prime minister elect has plans to appoint new members to the judicial council, which controls the promotion of judges and prosecutors. For that, he’ll need a super majority of 160.