Is Bulgarian prime minister Rumen Radev sizing up the EU’s Orbán-shaped hole?
This story was selected and curated by our editorial team in the Bulgaria category. Published on August 19, 2026 • Originally reported by Eden Maclachlan in Sofia. OMEGAZEPRIME provides independent news coverage and analysis for our readers. Stay informed with the latest developments.
Rightwing populist’s inconsistent positions on Europe and Russia suggest he is testing how far he can push partners and electorate
One evening nine years ago in the Bulgarian town of Balgari, a Brazilian tourist approached the casually dressed, middle-aged man surrounded by bodyguards, bystanders and photographers. “Why are you important?” she asked. “I’m not so important,” he replied. She repeated the question and he admitted: “I’m the president.”
Now, in 2026, the rightwing populist Rumen Radev is no longer the president, but the prime minister – the more powerful of the two positions – after his Progressive Bulgaria party secured an overwhelming majority in April’s election. While many in Europe breathed a sigh of relief that month at the demise of Viktor Orbán in Hungary, others wondered if Radev would become the EU’s next disruptor-in-chief.
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