European leaders congratulate Bulgaria’s Radev on election victory

European leaders on Monday congratulated Rumen Radev on his party’s victory in Bulgaria's parliamentary elections, pledging continued cooperation on security and economic issues.

“Congratulations to Rumen Radev on his victory in the parliamentary elections,” EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said, adding she looked forward to working together “for the prosperity and security of Bulgaria and Europe.”

Antonio Costa, president of the European Council, also congratulated Radev on his “outright victory” and said he looked forward to working together on “a prosperous, autonomous and secure Europe.”

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said he had spoken with Radev following the election and expressed hope for continued cooperation on shared security challenges.

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic congratulated Radev and Progressive Bulgaria on what he described as a “convincing victory,” voicing confidence in continued cooperation on bilateral and European issues.

Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria party won Sunday’s vote, marking the country’s eighth parliamentary election since 2021.

Radev, a former Air Force commander who served as Bulgaria’s president from 2017 until his resignation in 2026, launched the Progressive Bulgaria coalition earlier this year after stepping down to run in the parliamentary elections, positioning himself to become prime minister.

He ran on an anti-corruption platform, promising to “root out the mafia and kick out the oligarchs,” which he said were undermining the EU’s least developed member state.

However, his skepticism about Bulgaria’s recent adoption of the euro, as well as his views on the Russia-Ukraine conflict, have raised concerns. He previously described the EU’s support for Ukraine as a “doomed cause.”

In his victory speech, he promised to build "a strong Bulgaria and a strong Europe."

"What Europe needs right now is critical thinking, pragmatic actions and good results, especially to build a new security architecture and … recover its industrial power and competitiveness," he said.