Bulgaria’s new prime minister could be a thorn in Europe’s side

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A pro-Russian former fighter pilot has cantered to victory in Bulgaria’s election. The Progressive Bulgaria party of Rumen Radev, who served nearly a decade as president, received 45% of the vote, giving it an estimated 132 of the 240 seats in parliament. It was the eighth election since anti-corruption protests brought down the government in 2021 and the result should finally put the country on the path towards political stability. It also will provoke a flicker of alarm in Brussels. Earlier this month the EU was finally rid of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, who stayed close to the Kremlin and blocked a vital defence loan to Ukraine. Now the bloc must contend, in Radev, with a leader who has opposed sanctions on Moscow and military support for Ukraine.