Former President Rumen Radev and his center-left Progressive Bulgaria party have secured a runaway victory in Bulgaria's eighth general election in five years. According to official results from the central electoral commission, the party won between 44% and 45% of the votes, granting them an absolute majority in parliament with approximately 130 of the 240 seats.
This outcome marks the first outright parliamentary majority for a single formation since 1997 and represents one of the strongest results for a single party in a generation. The victory is expected to end years of political fragmentation and weak coalition governments, allowing Radev to head the country's first single-party government in nearly three decades. Having stepped down from the presidency in January, Radev will now become prime minister, a position more powerful than president in Bulgaria.
Radev, a former fighter pilot, ran on an anti-corruption ticket, urging voters to ditch corrupt officials, conspirators, and extremists to rid the nation of its oligarchic governance model. As a pro-Russian candidate and EU critic, Radev has called for renewing ties with Russia, a stance that puts pressure on Brussels. Both Russia and the European Union have already sent their congratulations following the victory, which Radev hailed as a victory of hope.