At an official ceremony on January 22 Bulgaria’s newly-elected President Rumen Radev assumes office. Rumen Radev is the first Bulgarian President who comes from the military career rather than from the political circles. President Radev graduated from a High School of Mathematics and later from the Higher Airforce Military Academy in Dolna Mitropolia (Central North Bulgaria). He also studied at the Squadron Officer School Maxwell in the USA. He flies Russian fighter jets MIG-15, MIG-17, MIG-21 and MIG-29 as well as NATO fighter jets F-15, F-16, F-18, Eurofighter and Gripen. He prepared for his military career at the G. S Rakovski Defense and Staff College in Sofia and the Squadron Officer School Maxwell in the USA. He started his military career as a junior pilot in 1987 and moved up the ranks to become Commander of the Bulgarian Airforce in 2014. In 2016 he put an end to his military career to take part as Presidential nominee supported by an initiative committee and the Bulgarian Socialist Party.

There were speculations that Radev would follow a pro-Russian policy line, because he was supported by the Bulgarian Socialist Party at the recent Presidential elections. However, Rumen Radev himself defined those assumptions as results of unfounded fears that Bulgaria may exit the EU and NATO. He assured that he is a NATO General and that he has been making efforts to make Bulgaria a strong and active NATO member throughout his whole career.

Some people worry that Bulgaria’s new President does not have enough political experience to deal with the complicated local and international situation. Others, however, believe that the lack of political experience does not make him weaker. On the contrary, those people contend that the fifth Bulgarian President will be able to defend the national interest better than the Presidents who were representatives of the political status-quo before they assumed office.

Undoubtedly, Bulgaria’s head of state Radev earned broad social support at the Presidential elections. He was backed by supporters of the socialist parties as well as by people supporting the whole spectrum of Bulgaria’s political life. Time and his concrete steps will show whether Bulgaria’s new head of state would justify that support or would cause disappointment.

English version: Kostadin Atanasov