Kremlin welcomes Radev's election victory in Bulgaria

Moscow [Russia], April 21: Russia has welcomed the victory of former president Rumen Radev in the parliamentary elections in Bulgaria.
"Of course we are impressed by the statements made by Mr Radev, who won the election, and by some other European leaders regarding their willingness to resolve problems through pragmatic dialogue," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov on Monday. Radev is seen as maintaining relatively friendly ties with Moscow. He met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the International Economic Forum in St Petersburg in 2019 during his time in office.
Peskov said it was still too early to draw conclusions as to "whether the general European climate is changing." Moscow accuses the EU of pursuing an anti-Russian policy. Peskov emphasized that problems should be resolved through negotiations.
"Russia has never closed the door on dialogue," he claimed. "On the contrary - we seek dialogue, but for the most part this is not yet reciprocated in Europe."
With nearly all ballots counted, the Central Election Commission said on Monday that Radev's left-wing bloc Progressive Bulgaria (PB) secured 44.6% of the vote in Sunday's election - likely enough for an absolute majority in the 240-seat parliament.
Trailing far behind are two pro-Western parties that previously governed. The long-dominant conservative alliance GERB-SDS, which led a coalition government that resigned in December 2025, won around 13.4%, its worst result to date. The liberal bloc PP-DB came third with 12.7%.
PP-DB had called mass protests in December that ultimately forced the GERB-SDS-led government to step down. The two pro-Western groupings had governed together in 2023-24.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has congratulated former president Rumen Radev on his victory in Bulgaria's parliamentary election.
"Bulgaria is a proud member of the European family and plays an important role in tackling our common challenges, she posted on X on Monday. "I look forward to working together, for the prosperity and security of Bulgaria and Europe."
Source: Qatar Tribune