Pro-Russia ex-president claims victory in Bulgaria’s elections

{"text":[[{"start":7.25,"text":"Russia-friendly former president Rumen Radev is on course to win Bulgaria’s parliamentary elections with an outright majority, a result that could stabilise the government after a long series of snap elections, but may push the EU and Nato member closer to Moscow."}],[{"start":23.65,"text":"Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria, a leftist political group, was predicted to win more than 43 per cent of the vote, enough to give him 129 seats in the 240-seat parliament, according to an independent result verification by local pollster AlphaResearch. Official final results are due on Monday."}],[{"start":44.25,"text":"“We have defeated apathy, but distrust in Bulgarian politics is still great,” Radev told reporters in Sofia. “This is a victory of morality . . . This is a victory of hope over distrust and of freedom over fear.”"}],[{"start":59.1,"text":"Radev is closer to Russia than any recent Bulgarian premier. During his time as president, he was reluctant to condemn Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, criticised EU sanctions and opposed Bulgaria’s accession to the Eurozone."}],[{"start":74,"text":"The centre-right GERB party of former premier Boyko Borisov was expected to win just 40 seats, while its junior partner, the DPS party of US and UK-sanctioned oligarch Delyan Peevski, was on track for 23 seats."}],[{"start":89.9,"text":"The liberal We Continue the Change (PP-DB) was projected at 36 seats, meaning Radev and PP-DB together would have the constitutional supermajority necessary to make sweeping changes to the judiciary and deliver on his anti-graft promises in one of the EU’s most corrupt countries."}],[{"start":110.5,"text":"Also present in parliament will be the far-right, pro-Russia Revival party, with a predicted 12 seats, down from 33. With Radev’s PB, the clear majority in parliament could shift away from a pro-West stance."}],[{"start":124.3,"text":"Goran Georgiev, a Russian disinformation expert with the Sofia-based Center for the Study of Democracy, warned that Radev’s ascent signalled growing Russian influence amid broad public dissatisfaction with the political class."}],[{"start":138.1,"text":"“If Radev’s previous remarks are anything to go by, the pro-Russian wing will prevail in PB, especially with pressure from Revival, and we will end up with a parliament in which the majority will not be pro-European for the first time in Bulgaria’s modern history,” Georgiev said. "}],[{"start":153.4,"text":"The result comes just months after the country joined the euro area at the beginning of the year, and barely over a year after it was admitted into the EU’s passport-free Schengen travel zone. Radev has criticised euro adoption and tried to launch a referendum to stop it. "}],[{"start":169.4,"text":"The snap election was the country’s eighth in five years. Radev stepped down as president in January to run for the more powerful post of prime minister after massive anti-graft protests brought down the previous administration headed by GERB."}],[{"start":183.6,"text":"Radev focused on the anti-corruption message and has said he will not co-operate with other parties. He vowed to end the lasting influence of “the Peevski-Borisov model, which we should not miss under any circumstances”."}],[{"start":196.95,"text":"“I urge today all Bulgarian citizens . . . to take our country back,” Radev posted on social media in a final swipe at his two main opponents as voting got under way."}],[{"start":208.45,"text":"With a population of just under 6.7mn, Bulgaria is deeply marred by corruption and has struggled to improve the rule of law as one weak government after another has fallen. "}],[{"start":219.6,"text":"Radev’s anti-graft message has aligned neatly with the PP-DB group, although his pro-Russia platform leaves questions about how the two might work together. PP-DB has also long advocated rule-of-law reforms, but is one of the most pro-western parties in the country."}],[{"start":null,"text":"

"}],[{"start":235.4,"text":"Valérie Hayer, a French liberal MEP who leads the Renew Europe group, which also lists PP-DB as members in the EU assembly, told the FT she was “very concerned” about Radev winning the election and becoming “Putin’s Trojan horse in Europe”."}],[{"start":250.65,"text":"At the closing rally in Sofia on Thursday, the Radev campaign projected a picture of him and Russian President Vladimir Putin as part of a slideshow with other world leaders. "}],[{"start":261.3,"text":"During the campaign Radev told a pro-Kremlin YouTube channel that he intended to be a “very important link . . . to restore relations with Russia”."}],[{"start":269.5,"text":"That could be problematic for Sofia’s standing in Brussels. Bulgaria exports significant amounts of ammunition to Ukraine and lies along one of the main energy paths supplying central Europe. "}],[{"start":282.2,"text":"Local analysts say that despite his pro-Moscow leanings, Radev is unlikely to turn into a second Viktor Orbán, the longtime Hungarian premier and Kremlin ally who lost his country’s elections a week ago. "}],[{"start":294.9,"text":"Radev could moderate his stance, AlphaResearch director Boriana Dimitrova said before the vote, as “the country relies on European funds and investments; the support for the country’s EU membership is high; and a strong pro-European opposition will be presented in the parliament”."}],[{"start":312.95,"text":"Georgiev, the Russia expert, said: “Radev’s electorate appears split in the middle so he wasn’t given a carte blanche to turn toward Russia. He is going to have to balance between the two if he wants to maintain this level of support. "}],[{"start":326.25,"text":"“I expect the focus will be on anti-corruption and bringing back meritocracy and independence to institutions — issues that made pro-European and pro-Russian voters both back him.”"}],[{"start":347,"text":""}]],"url":"https://audio.ftcn.net.cn/album/a_1776645089_6861.mp3"}