Bulgaria’s parliament today formally approved Rumen Radev as the new prime minister in a bid to end political instability and spur economic development in the EU member country. The chamber voted 124-70 with 36 abstentions to elect Radev, a 62-year-old former president, as prime minister.
Radev resigned from the mostly ceremonial presidency in January, a few months before the end of his second term, to launch a bid to lead the government in the more powerful role as prime minister. Bulgaria’s previous conservative government collapsed in December after nationwide anti-corruption protests drew hundreds of thousands of mainly young people to the streets. At campaign rallies, Radev vowed to remove the corrupt, oligarchic model of governance from political power.
Radev, a former fighter pilot, earned a Master of Strategic Studies degree from the US Air War College in 2003, before being appointed Bulgarian air force commander. Although Radev’s pro-Russian stance has raised concerns about Bulgaria’s position in European policymaking.
