The new cabinet members stand on the podium of the National Assembly in Sofia, Bulgaria, May 8, 2026. Bulgarian former President Rumen Radev became the country's new prime minister on Friday after the parliament approved him and his proposal for a Council of Ministers. (Xinhua/Lin Hao)
SOFIA, May 8 (Xinhua) -- Former Bulgarian President Rumen Radev became the country's new prime minister on Friday after parliament approved him and his proposed Council of Ministers.
Radev, leader of the Progressive Bulgaria (PB) party, secured the post with the backing of 124 lawmakers from his party in the 240-seat parliament. Lawmakers from the second-largest bloc, GERB-UDF, abstained, while opposition parties voted against the new government. Parliament also approved the structure and composition of the cabinet.
Under the Bulgarian Constitution, a government must win the support of more than half of the lawmakers present.
Born in 1963, Radev first won the presidency in 2016 and was re-elected in 2021. He resigned in January 2026 to participate in the snap parliamentary elections held on April 19. Before entering politics, he served as a professional fighter pilot and commander of the Bulgarian Air Force.
Presenting his cabinet to parliament, Radev acknowledged the challenges facing the country, including soaring prices, high inflation, economic pressures and regional conflicts. He said his government would focus on modernization, economic development, public security and preventing Bulgaria from being drawn into military conflicts.
Radev also pledged efforts to reduce poverty, improve the business environment, attract investment, expand the use of high technologies and artificial intelligence, and strengthen the fight against crime.
The April election, Bulgaria's eighth parliamentary vote in five years, followed the collapse of former Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov's government in December 2025 amid mass protests over economic policies. ■
Rumen Radev (C) leaves the National Assembly after the vote in Sofia, Bulgaria, May 8, 2026. Bulgarian former President Rumen Radev became the country's new prime minister on Friday after the parliament approved him and his proposal for a Council of Ministers. (Xinhua/Lin Hao)
Rumen Radev speaks before the National Assembly voting process in Sofia, Bulgaria, May 8, 2026. Bulgarian former President Rumen Radev became the country's new prime minister on Friday after the parliament approved him and his proposal for a Council of Ministers. (Xinhua/Lin Hao)
