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Rumen Radev

Rumen Radev

Prime Minister and leader of Progressive Bulgaria

Appears in 5 stories

Office: Prime Minister of Bulgaria
Born: June 18, 1963, Dimitrovgrad
Party: independent politician
Education: Georgi Rakovski Military Academy, United States Air Force Academy
Previous offices: member of the Bulgarian National Assembly, President of Bulgaria

Last updated Nov 2, 2026

Stories

Yotova wins Bulgaria's presidential run-off after record-low turnout

Rule Changes

Prime Minister; his party backed Yotova, who won the November 1 run-off

Incumbent Iliana Yotova won Bulgaria's presidential run-off on November 1, and former caretaker prime minister Andrey Gyurov conceded after polls closed. Exit polls cited by RTE put Yotova at 57.4% to 58.2% and Gyurov at 38.6% to 39.6%.

Updated Nov 2

Bulgaria's first female president takes office amid political turmoil

Rule Changes

Leads Progressive Bulgaria government after April election win

Iliana Iotova won Bulgaria's November 1 presidential runoff, becoming the country's first elected female president. Official first-round results had put her at 34.76% to Andrey Gurov's 31.95%, with turnout at a record-low 22.98%.

Updated Nov 2

Suspected drone strike sinks grain ship off Romania

Force in Play

Summoned the Russian ambassador after two ships were hit off Bulgaria; was due to meet NATO's secretary-general alongside Romania's president to discuss the Black Sea attacks

A drone hit the Comoros-flagged cargo ship Khoryv about 13 nautical miles off Romania's Constanta port on Oct. 23, killing at least one of its 13 Ukrainian and Azeri crew. Nine sailors were rescued, three are still missing, and President Nicușor Dan said the strike was part of Russia's escalation in its war in Ukraine.

Updated Oct 25

Bulgaria's ex-president Radev wins outright parliamentary majority after mass protests toppled government

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Election winner; awaiting parliamentary constitution before formal mandate to form government

Bulgaria held its eighth parliamentary election in five years on April 19, 2026. Former President Rumen Radev's Progressive Bulgaria coalition won 44.7% of the vote—the largest single-party result in Bulgaria's democratic history—giving it roughly 130 seats and an outright majority in the 240-seat National Assembly. Radev resigned the presidency in January to form the party, riding a wave of anti-corruption anger after mass protests toppled the previous government in December 2025.

Updated May 31

Bulgaria adopts the euro after 19-year wait

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Acknowledged euro adoption while criticizing lack of referendum in New Year address

Bulgaria became the 21st eurozone member on January 1, 2026, replacing the lev at a fixed rate of 1.95583 per euro. Euro banknotes and coins began circulating at midnight, ending nearly three decades under a currency board.

Updated May 19