Kremlin-friendly candidate wins landslide in Bulgaria

Bulgaria’s election has concluded with a landslide victory for the pro-Russian nationalist Rumen Radev, official results showed yesterday.

- EDWARD MCALLISTER Reuters

The outcome sidelines dominant political forces, potentially pushing the EU and Nato member state closer to Moscow. His performance, significantly exceeding opinion poll forecasts, is among the strongest for a single party in a generation. It may also end the chronic instability that has led to eight elections in five years.

Mr Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria, a former left-of-centre coalition now recognised as a single party, took 44.7 per cent of the vote, with 91.7 per cent of ballots counted. This suggests it could rule alone, but he has not ruled out partnership with a pro-European group.

His party’s tally was far ahead of the pro-European We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB) coalition (13.2 per cent) and the long-dominant GERB party, led by former prime minister Boyko Borissov (13.4 per cent).

“This is a victory of hope over distrust, a victory of freedom over fear, and finally, if you will, a victory of morality,” Mr Radev told a press conference late on Sunday.