- The Progressive Bulgaria coalition, led by ex-president Rumen Radev, achieved a decisive victory in the country's parliamentary election, signalling an end to five years of political fragmentation.
- With 96 per cent of votes counted, Progressive Bulgaria secured 44.7 per cent of the ballot, significantly outperforming the centre-right GERB party (13.4 per cent) and the pro-Western We Continue the Change bloc (12.9 per cent).
- Radev, who resigned from his largely ceremonial presidency to seek the more powerful role of prime minister, hailed his party's win as "unequivocal" and a "victory of hope over distrust."
- Known for his sympathetic views towards Russia and opposition to EU military aid for Ukraine, Radev's supporters are split between those seeking an end to corruption and those aligning with his Euroskeptic stance.
- Bulgaria, a NATO and EU member, has been criticised for its handling of corruption and rule of law, experiencing political instability with a series of weak, short-lived governments since 2021.
IN FULL
Tired of political turmoil, Bulgarians give ex-president a convincing mandate for change
