His resignation from the public office he holds was announced by its president, Rumen Radev, sparking speculation that he is preparing to found his own political party to participate in the upcoming elections, after the resignation of the government last month.
Radev, who was to retain his largely ceremonial role until January 2027, said he would submit his resignation to the Constitutional Court. If approved, she will be temporarily replaced by Vice President Iliana Iotova until the presidential election in November.
Who is Radev and what has come before
Radev, who has expressed skepticism about Bulgaria’s recent euro membership and has expressed pro-Russian views on the war in Ukraine, was elected president in 2016 and is up for re-election in 2021.
His move to step down, which has been a near-certainty in recent years among citizens, comes amid a political crisis as Bulgaria heads into its eighth parliamentary election in four years. The divided Parliament has led to a series of electoral winners failing to secure a majority or form stable coalition governments.
The last coalition government lasted nearly a year, until protests over the new budget and widespread corruption forced it to resign in December. Elections are expected in the coming months.
Meanwhile, Radev, a former air force chief, has repeatedly appointed interim governments, raising his profile and his own political ambitions, according to analysts and Western diplomats.
