Bulgaria held early parliamentary elections last weekend – the eighth time in five years – and while ALDE Party member We Continue The Change increased its vote share and the GERB party recorded their worst ever result, a decisive shift that gives absolute majority to a new political force led by the former president Rumen Radev.
However, Radev’s more Moscow-aligned rhetoric has raised flags and caution on the risk of a new Trojan horse within the EU and shaping Bulgaria’s broader positioning going forward.
Liberal party We Continue The Change received the third-most votes in coalition with Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB), securing 37 seats, remaining a key force in opposition.
Ahead of the vote, ALDE Party President Svenja Hahn MEP addressed lively supporters in Sofia, setting out a vision of renewal:
“We are building a future of a strong Bulgaria in a strong Europe, because Bulgaria matters to Europe, and Europe matters to Bulgaria. You deserve to move forward and break the status quo with institutions that serve the people and a political system where every vote counts and is counted fairly. It is time to continue the change.”
Following the result, Hahn congratulated Party leader Assen Vassilev and the 36 other re-elected members of the PP–DB coalition, highlighting their role in dismantling what she described as the Borissov–Peevski hegemony and its long-standing grip on the political system.
A new legislative mandate will place strong emphasis on judicial reform, anti-corruption measures and Bulgaria’s long-term European trajectory. A stronger liberal voice in parliament can empower political change free from instability or democratic backsliding.
Nikola Minchev MEP (We Continue The Change, BG) commented:
“Just a week after Orbán was defeated we have to make sure there is no second trojan horse in the EU. With these election results, “We continue the change” will be the main opposition factor and a guard for the anti-corruption reform and pro-European future Bulgaria needs.”
Renew Group President Valerie Hayer also reflected on the importance of a pro-European Bulgaria:
“Rule of law and pro-European policies are inseparable, and we will continue supporting or partners in their efforts for a strong Bulgaria in strong Europe. We have seen in the past that corruption, the rule of law and Russian influence go hand in hand. They nurture one another, and the fight against them is also inseparable – anti-corruption policies, integrity and pro-European efforts. Bulgaria matters. It is not at the periphery but at the heart of the EU defence architecture - on the external border, it is strategically positioned on Europe’s front line.”
While Bulgaria now enters a phase of greater parliamentary stability, the political direction remains contested. The era of repeated collapse and entrenched dominance has been disrupted, allowing a new political order to take shape.