RT.com
19 Apr 2026, 17:04 GMT+10
Rumen Radev and Boyko Borissov are competing in a vote that will shape Bulgarias relations with Brussels, Kiev, and Moscow
Bulgaria's Rumen Radev and Boyko Borissov have cast their votes, and the country's eighth election in five years is underway. Radev, who opposes EU aid to Ukraine, has vowed to break the stranglehold of the "oligarchic mafia" on Bulgaria.
The election is another flashpoint in the battle between pro-EU and sovereignist political forces in Europe. Borissov's GERB-SDS party is aligned with Brussels' foreign policy, and he reassured voters on Sunday that the party gives "full support to Ukraine." Radev's Progressive Bulgaria faction promises to balance relations between East and West, with Radev vowing to build a "modern European Bulgaria," while developing "practical relations with Russia based on mutual respect."
Radev is a former fighter pilot who served as Bulgaria's president between 2017 and 2026. Borissov is the country's longest-serving prime minister, holding office between 2009 and 2021. The pair publicly clashed during their overlapping stint in power, with Radev backing the 2020 anti-corruption protests that led to Borissov's downfall.
Just as it did in Hungary last weekend, and in France, Germany, Moldova, and Romania beforehand,the EU has activated its 'Rapid Response System'in Bulgaria. This suite of online censorship tools gives the European Commission the power to remove so-called "disinformation" from social media platforms during the election.
LIVE UPDATES BELOW
(RT.com)
Get a daily dose of Belgium Sun news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Belgium Sun.
More InformationNEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A deepening jet fuel crunch linked to the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is raising fears...
DUBLIN, Ireland: The International Protection Bill, which introduces new asylum rules to speed up decisions and improve support for...
WARSAW, Poland: With Poland partially suspending the right to seek asylum last year, Afghan migrants are facing a life of fear and...
DUBLIN, Ireland: The government won the Dáil confidence vote tabled by Sinn Féin following the fuel protests by 92 votes to 78. The...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: The global economy is entering a period of heightened risk as the war in Iran disrupts energy markets, with the International...
New Delhi [India], April 19 (ANI): The Centre for Trade and Investment Law (CTIL), Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, in collaboration...
LONDON, U.K.: The war in Iran has erased more than US$50 billion in global oil output in less than two months, creating one of the...
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: A deepening jet fuel crunch linked to the Iran war and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is raising fears...
SEATTLE, Washington: The Chinese government is asking travelers to avoid entering the United States through Seattle, citing a pattern...
LONDON, U.K.: On April 17, Opposition politicians renewed their demands for the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, to resign after...
JERUSALEM/BEIRUT: After many hours of sirens in northern Israel mid-week, people felt an unusual calm later in the week as the ceasefire...
ANNANDALE, Virginia: Virginia's former lieutenant governor, Justin Fairfax, once seen as a rising Democratic leader before sexual assault...
