Bulgaria's former president Rumen Radev leads polls ahead of legislative elections

Rumen Radev, Bulgaria's former president, is narrowly leading the polls ahead of the country's upcoming legislative elections.

He resigned from the presidency earlier this year to run for prime minister, marking a significant shift in his political career.

Radev, who served as president for nine years until January 2026, now heads the newly founded Progressive Bulgaria party.

The party is currently leading the polls by a slim margin of one point over the established right-wing party GERB.

Bulgaria has experienced considerable political instability in recent years, with seven prime ministers in five years and frequent government reshuffles.

This instability has contributed to a perception of the country as difficult to govern.

Radev's campaign focuses heavily on anti-corruption measures and promises to bring stability to Bulgaria's political landscape.

Despite his long tenure as president, he is not strongly associated with day-to-day politics in the public eye and claims that citizens encouraged him to enter parliamentary politics.

His background includes military service as commander of the Bulgarian Air Force, a factor that often contributes to public perceptions of competence and grounded leadership.

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