Presidency of Rumen Radev

F-16 deal veto

In June 2019, Radev vetoed a major government contract for the acquisition of 16 F-16 Fighting Falcons Block 70 from the U.S. at a cost of around 2bln lev.^[23] Radev strongly criticised the deal, accusing the government of authoritarianism and stated that he believed it had agreed to downgrades in the jets' avionics and armament, in order to get a lower purchasing price, which he also deemed too high for what they are worth.^[24][25] The pro-government majority in Bulgaria's national assembly overruled Radev's veto and the deal was nonetheless concluded.^[26][27]

Rejection of Geshev as General Prosecutor

In November 2019, Radev refused to sign the decree appointing Ivan Geshev to the post of Chief Public Prosecutor of Bulgaria, following the latter's election to the post by Bulgaria's Supreme Judicial Council. He did not officially declare the motive for his refusal in written form, instead deciding to explain it personally to the media. Radev remarked that Geshev was the only candidate for the post and opined that the single-candidate nature of his election was supported by Borisov's government. He expressed the opinion that Geshev's candidacy had been supported only by government-controlled institutions and not by civic ones, which in his eyes led to a lack of public confidence in the institution.^[28][29][30] The Supreme Judicial Council refused to revise their decision and voted in favour of Geshev a second time, which triggered a constitutional requirement for Radev as president to sign the decree.^[31] Stating that he would refuse to violate the constitution, Radev did so following a meeting with Geshev, but called for changes to Bulgaria's constitution.^[32]

Wiretapping scandal

The relations between Radev and Geshev quickly soured, as the latter released what he stated was a wiretap of Radev discussing his involvement in alleged criminal activities. Geshev further appealed to the Constitutional Court of Bulgaria to have Radev's legal immunity revoked. The general prosecutor's actions backfired in the eyes of the Bulgarian people and were widely viewed as an attempt to suppress and censor the president – either as 'revenge' for the president's initial veto of Geshev's appointment, or as a preparation for a move to remove Radev from his post as president.^[33][34] In response, Radev accused Geshev's prosecution of being controlled by Borisov's government, whom he accused of using both the prosecution, the secret services and the National Police Service to crush dissent.^[35]

Borisov swore that he had not ordered Radev to be wiretapped.^[36] In turn, Radev doubled down, noting that the agency responsible for wiretapping in Bulgaria, the State Agency for National Security, was directly responsible to the government and the prime minister. He further questioned the motives as to why it appeared to him as though the general prosecutor "saw crime and corruption in everything, except for the council of ministers".^[37]

Declaration of no confidence

On 4 February 2020, Radev announced that he had formally withdrawn confidence in Borisov's government. He pointed out that there was, in his opinion, a strong crisis in the governance of all levels, a lack of will to reform and fight corruption, and a state of morally-questionable lawlessness in the country. Borisov accused Radev of trying to "take over" the country and stated that his government did not depend on Radev for confidence, adding that he believed the presidency to be a useless post, holding only 'symbolic councils', which he asserted never decided anything.^[38][39]

Borisov photo scandal and drone controversy

In June 2020, photographs emerged that seemed to show Borisov lying half-naked on a bed, next to a nightstand featuring a handgun and stacks of euro banknotes. Borisov confirmed that the room in the photos was his, but said the gun and money were not, stating that the images could have been manipulated. Borisov accused Radev of flying a drone into his home to take the pictures. He also accused former Ombudswoman Maya Manolova, TV star Slavi Trifonov, and his own former second-in-command Tsvetan Tsvetanov (who had just left and condemned the ruling party) of involvement in a kompromat plot to take photos of him while he was sleeping. Radev condemned the leaks, calling it an "insane" invasion of the prime minister's privacy. He added that he owns a drone, but that the accusation that he used it to take the pictures was part of Borisov's "fantasy and paranoia".^{[46][47][48][49]}

Other issues

April 2021 elections and Yanev government

In January 2021, Radev signed the election law, scheduling the next regular Bulgarian elections for April.^[51] The elections came after a period of public protests against the Borisov government, and during social restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.^[52] After the elections, Radev decided to not postpone the convocation of the Bulgarian National Assembly,^[53] despite the fragmented nature of the newly elected parliament. He also dismissed the possibility of convening a Grand National Assembly, as proposed by Borisov.^[54] In his address to the opening session of the National Assembly, Radev expressed hope for a regular cabinet, highlighting the many issues facing Bulgaria: including poverty, the COVID-pandemic and corruption; however, he also called on parties to avoid forming "unprincipled" coalitions.^[55] On 19 April, Radev held consultations with all the parliamentary groups.^[56] During the consultations, Radev clashed with representatives from GERB, who accused him of expediting the procedure of consultations in order to impede government formations.^[57] He, in turn, denied that the Presidential institution would serve as an "architect" of future governments.^[58]

After the failure of government formation, Radev announced the formation of a caretaker cabinet on 11 May, headed by his secretary of defense, Stefan Yanev, and scheduled snap legislative elections for 11 July.^[59] He announced that the caretaker government's priorities would be to organise fair elections without vote buying, sort out the supply of vaccines and present a Recovery and Development Plan to the European Union.^[60] Radev further hailed the cabinet as a government built on "consensus, combing experts from the left, center and right". He also officially dissolved the 45th National Assembly, claiming it would "be remembered for its role in dragging Bulgaria out of authoritarianism and corruption". Radev generally praised the work of the First Yanev caretaker cabinet, especially highlighting the decrease in vote buying and invalid ballots, as well as attempts to reduce corruption within the state, as a success.^[61]

There were a number of cabinet changes in the second Yanev government, with the Minister of Economy, Kiril Petkov, and Minister of Finance, Assen Vassilev, leaving to form the party "We Continue the Change".^[62] The appointment of the second Yanev caretaker cabinet made Radev the president who oversaw the most caretaker cabinets, as well as the only president to have appointed two consecutive caretaker cabinets. GERB consistently accused Radev of using the caretaker cabinet as a "pre-election headquarters" and of trying to take over the state.^[63] During the second Yanev government's term, Radev was accused by some individuals, notably those from the Bulgarian Socialist Party, of implicitly supporting the newly formed electoral coalition led by the former caretaker ministers.^[64] The tenure of the Yanev caretaker cabinet ended on 13 December, after the successful formation of a government led by Petkov. During the transfer of power to the new government, Radev praised the caretaker ministers, noting that they "stabilised the country" and "showed that a unity of purpose can be achieved across political lines".^[65]

Re-election campaign

On 1 February 2021, Radev announced he would seek a second term as President, with the incumbent vice president Iliana Iotova as his running mate.^[66] Radev declared that his candidacy was aimed at building a "stronger state" and continuing the message of change. Radev's candidacy for president was endorsed by ITN,^[67] the BSP,^[68] PP,^[69] and Stand Up, Bulgaria (ISBG),^[70] making Radev the favourite for the upcoming elections.^[71] Radev announced on 20 September that he would run as an independent, meaning he was to be nominated by an "initiative committee"^[72] of 189 individuals, including important political figures such as BSP MPs Kristian Vigenin and Vesela Lecheva, public activists Nikolay Hadjigenov and Arman Babikyan, as well as ITN MPs Stanislav Balabanov and Filip Stanev.^[73]

Radev's re-election campaign faced a challenge after the nominations of the dean of Sofia University, GERB candidate Atanas Gerdjikov, as well as the independent candidacy of the judge Lozan Panov, with the support of Democratic Bulgaria.^[74] On 17 October, Radev opened his campaign for president with a hike to the Cherni Vrah.^[75] During the campaign, Radev fundraised 730,000 leva, double the amount raised by his closest opponent, Gerdjikov.^[76] After the first round, held on 14 November, Radev emerged as the strongest candidate with 49% of the vote, although he still had to face Gerdjikov in the second round.^[77] In his statement after the election result, Radev characterised his victory as a "break from corruption, lawlessness, and authoritarianism", and claimed that attempts to "divide and manipulate society" had failed. Radev called on voters to not become apathetic, claiming that they were facing the "organised forces of the status quo" in the second round.^[78] Radev's voters came primarily from PP, BSP, and ITN.^[79]

After the first round, the two leading candidates agreed to hold a debate.^[80] The debate was held on the state broadcaster BNT and lasted 90 minutes.^[81] The two mostly agreed on the need for a regular cabinet, continuing the same policy towards North Macedonia, as well as the need for COVID-19 vaccinations.^[82] They disagreed regarding refugees, with Radev not supporting asylum provision. Radev, unlike Gerdjikov, defended the caretaker cabinets' handling of the pandemic.^[83] The most controversial topic of the debate concerned Bulgaria–Russia relations, with Gerdjikov arguing for continued sanctions, while Radev called the sanctions ineffective.^[84] In the second round, held on 21 November, Radev defeated Gerdjikov with 66% of the vote, thus securing a second term in office.^[85] The election had the lowest-ever turnout for a second round of a Bulgarian presidential election. Radev began his term in January 2022, and was inaugurated at the presidential "Dondukov-2" Palace.^[86]

Relations with the Petkov government

After the 2021 Bulgarian general election, Radev endorsed the formation of a "government of change".^[87] This was treated as an endorsement of a government led by PP, led by Petkov and Vassilev, who held positions in the Radev appointed first Yanev government. On 6 December, Radev gave the first exploratory mandate for government formation to Petkov and Vassilev, asking them to form a "diverse", "non-personalist" cabinet.^[88] The mandate was returned to the President as completed on 11 December, with the announcement of the Petkov government. Radev underlined the "responsibility" of the Petkov government to "reform the broken political system and fight corruption, illegality, inequality and the forces of the deep state".^[89]

Despite the early support, Radev became increasingly critical of the Petkov government. On 1 February 2022, Radev released a statement to the press in which he criticised the government's approach to North Macedonia for being "too soon".^[90] He also criticised Petkov's decision to change the board of directors of the state company Bulgargaz, claiming it was "reminiscent of the style of governance [of] Borissov".^[91] Later, on 17 February, Radev quipped that "it is not enough to have good intentions- it is also important to take practical measures" when talking about the government's response to increased inflation, noting that in his view, "the new persons responsible for energy policy, appointed by the new government, have not achieved the necessary results".^[92] Despite the increasingly harsh criticism from Radev, Petkov continued to insist that dialogue between the two figures was "constructive".^[93]

The conflict between the Prime Minister and the President intensified after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, with Radev opposing the imposition of sanctions and the sending of lethal aid, while Petkov was more open to it.^[94] Radev was also critical of attempts by the government to reshuffle Bulgaria's security services. After Petkov was attacked with snowballs during a speech on Mount Shipka for Bulgaria's Liberation day (3 March), Radev dismissed calls to change the leadership of key security services because the incident did not constitute "a breach of security".^[95]

In April, the government requested that Radev remove General Emil Tonev as head of the National Security Service, which is responsible for the protection of government officials and government buildings.^[96] The reasoning given was that Tonev had transferred video tapes collected by cameras at the entrances of the Ministerial Council to the General Prosecutors office, without informing the prime minister. While Radev criticised the request for video tapes by the General Prosecutors Office, he refused to remove General Emil Tonev from his position, citing the motivation as "surface-level and unreasonable" and accusing the Petkov government of trying to "politicise the security services".^[97]

On 27 April, the Russian state company Gazprom announced that it would cease deliveries to Bulgaria, after Bulgaria refused to pay in Rubles.^[98] Radev criticised the government, claiming that the government's aggressive foreign policy approach, including state visits to Kyiv, imperilled energy security and led to higher inflation.^[99] On 17 June, a proposal was submitted by France which aimed to create a "framework for negotiations" between North Macedonia and Bulgaria, with Bulgaria lifting the veto on accession of North Macedonia to the European Union, in exchange for North Macedonia's government's commitment toward protecting the Bulgarian minority in North Macedonia.^[100] President Radev was critical of the French proposal, and criticised the Petkov government for not "taking a clear position on it" and instead "transferring responsibility to the National Assembly".^[101] Petkov then criticised Radev for not calling a Consultative Council on National Security to discuss the "French proposal".^[102]

Despite his continued criticisms of the government, Radev refrained from commenting on the vote of no confidence against the Petkov government, calling it a "routine moment in a democratic society".^[103] Simultaneously, Radev underlined his readiness to form a caretaker cabinet and called on MPs to "refrain from becoming political nomads".^[104] After the successful vote of no confidence, Radev began the process of government formation. On 28 July, the BSP leader Korneliya Ninova returned the third mandate incomplete, thus meaning that new elections were to be scheduled. In her statement after the return of the third mandate, Ninova claimed that Radev was "part of the group" that had removed the cabinet from power.^[105] Due to the failure of government formation, early elections were called for October, and a caretaker cabinet (the first Donev government) headed by Radev's social policy advisor, Galab Donev was appointed.^[106][107]

Donev caretaker cabinet and 48th National Assembly

On 2 August, Radev appointed a caretaker cabinet headed by Donev.^[108] Radev was criticised by the BSP for the appointment of BSP members in the cabinet, with Ninova insisting that the party would not take responsibility for their actions and that this was an attempt by Radev to meddle in the internal affairs of the party.^[109] Ninova went as far as to say that the new government was "revanchist" against BSP.^[110] In his official presentation of the caretaker cabinet, Radev outlined its goals as being to rein in "the many crises facing our country" and reduce the possibility of Bulgaria's involvement in an armed conflict.^[111] With the appointment of Donev, Radev became the first president in Bulgarian history to appoint 3 caretaker prime ministers in his tenure.

The snap elections, which took place on 3 October, once again produced a fragmented parliament, with no single party being the obvious favourite in terms of government formation. Addressing the newly elected 48th National Assembly on 19 October, Radev expressed hope that it would finally bring the country out of political deadlock and form a regular cabinet, while also cautioning MPs away from entanglement in foreign wars.^[112] In the weeks following the gathering of parliament, Radev postponed the handing of the first mandate to GERB—the winning party—citing the fact that he wished to grant more time for negotiations and wished to avoid holding a snap election during winter.^[113] Some in the media accused Radev of postponing the government formation process in order to keep the Donev caretaker cabinet in power for a longer period of time.^[114]

Radev handed the first mandate for government formation to GERB on 2 December, with GERB nominating neurosurgeon Nikolai Gabrovski, as their prime ministerial candidate.^[115] The cabinet failed its investiture vote on 14 December, with Radev seeing the main reason for its failure in the fact that GERB had bet on "peoples amnesia" about their period in government, which had not taken place.^[116] He further confirmed that he would only give the second mandate to PP after the New Year.^[117]

On 14 December, Radev placed his veto on a controversial new law, which would have amended the electoral code of the country to remove the option to vote using newly installed machine-voting systems.^[118] On 2 January 2023, Radev gave the second mandate to PP as the second largest parliamentary group;^[119] however, the second mandate was not realised and was returned unfulfilled on 9 January by PP prime ministerial candidate Nikolai Denkov. During the return, Radev advised PP to consider negotiations with GERB in order to form a regular cabinet.^[120]

There was much speculation about who would receive the third mandate, with analysts most commonly mentioning the Bulgarian Socialist Party (which had received the third mandate the previous times), Bulgaria, Arise! (a party seen as close to Radev, due to its leader being the former Prime Minister of a caretaker government appointed by Radev) and Democratic Bulgaria (who had been endorsed by PP and GERB). Radev gave the third mandate to BSP on 16 January, a decision which was read by some analysts as being an indicator that Radev wished to force new elections, due to BSP's poor negotiating position, and as part of an appeal to leftists.^[121][122] After the return of the third mandate unfulfilled on 21 January, which made new elections inevitable, Radev described the third mandate as "initially doomed" due to "a lack of will from political parties to govern during a time of crisis".^[123]

On 3 February, Radev reappointed Donev as caretaker prime minister, after the Bulgarian Parliament once again failed to form a regular government. In the presentation of the renewed caretaker cabinet, which had the same composition sans the minister of culture, he praised them for "stopping the free fall of the state", reining in inflation and controlling energy prices, while also claiming that "the political parties will try to gain credit for the successes of the caretaker cabinet".^[124] Radev set reducing poverty and insuring stable levels of CPI as the two main goals of the reappointed caretaker government. The tenure of Donev's second caretaker cabinet ended on 6 June 2023, with the election of the Denkov cabinet. During the transfer of power, Radev praised the caretaker cabinet for their ability to rein in the various crises afflicting Bulgaria, specifically by lowering fuel prices.^[125]

49th National Assembly and Denkov–Gabriel government

After the parliamentary elections, Radev announced his decision to convene the new 49th National Assembly on 12 April.^[136] During the opening session, Radev gave a speech calling for parties to put aside their differences and engage in dialogue in order to "leave the political crisis" and "defend our European pathway, as well as our future as a democratic society".^[137] Shortly after the convocation of the 49th National Assembly, Radev reappointed Plamen Tonchev to a second term as head of the State Agency for National Security.^[138] In the following week, Radev held consultations with the parliamentary groups to explore avenues for government formation: during these meetings, the largest party, GERB, expressed a willingness to govern together with PP–DB; however, PP–DB continued to insist that they would not govern with GERB.^[139] Following this, he decided to postpone the handing of the first mandate to GERB in order to enable the parliament to pass laws—specifically in relation to the budget, EU Plan for Recovery and Sustainability, as well as Bulgaria's ascension into the Schengen area.^[140] During Europe Day celebrations, Radev announced that he would hand GERB the first exploratory mandate on 15 May, with Radev criticising the parliament for not doing enough to pass important laws.^[141] On 15 May, Radev gave the first mandate to GERB's prime ministerial candidate, Mariya Gabriel, wishing her luck in forming a government.^[142] On 22 May, Gabriel returned the first mandate to President Radev, citing the fact that an agreement was not reached in parliament.^[143]

Radev was scheduled to hand the second mandate to Denkov on 29 May. A few days prior, an audio tape was leaked by MP Radostin Vasilev, allegedly from the meeting of the PP National Council during a discussion on governing with GERB. This tape seemed to insinuate that PP leaders had made a deal with Radev to win the 2021 Bulgarian general election, wished to make changes within the security services, which they claimed were controlled by "Radev's people" and suspected that Radev was planning to enter politics in the near future.^[144] Radev dismissed these accusations, highlighting that "the security services don't belong to the President, but to Bulgaria as a whole".^[145]

When giving the second mandate to Denkov, Radev called on Denkov to return the mandate unfulfilled because it was "discredited" due to the release of the audio tapes.^[146] Radev's statement led to the organisation of protests by PP-DB and other organisations outside the presidential building calling for Radev's impeachment due to his alleged breach of his constitutional duties as well as condemning his allegedly pro-Russian views.^[147] On 1 June, Radev continued to criticise the proposed Denkov–Gabriel government, declaring that he did not expect "the kiss between Borisov and Petkov to produce anything but disgust, and certainly not trust or development", further claiming that the leaked audiotapes proved the undemocratic intentions of the incoming government.^[148]

On 5 June, Denkov returned the second exploratory mandate completed, with Radev promising to submit the appointment of the Denkov government to a vote by the National Assembly within the shortest time frame.^[149] The vote of investiture in Denkov's government took place on 6 June, being personally attended by Radev, who when entering the National Assembly told the media he hoped that MPs would vote against the proposed cabinet if they "were not partisan servants", and expressed hope that if elected the "newly elected government will not betray the national interest, just as the leaders of the political parties (PP/DB and GERB) had betrayed the interests of their voters".^[150] Upon the successful investiture of the government, Radev demonstratively left the session, saying that the government was "formed with deep compromises to the essence of democracy".^[151]

Glavchev caretaker government

50th National Assembly and early elections

Radev convened the 50th National Assembly of Bulgaria for 19 June.^[256] Unlike in previous National Assemblies, wherein the president usually made a speech during the opening session, this time Radev did not deliver a speech.^[257] He justified his decision by stating that he had already outlined his main theses in previous speeches.^[257] On 24 June, Radev began consultations with the parliamentary parties for the first mandate.^[258] During the consultations, it became clear that GERB planned to nominate a minority government, a move that was only supported by DPS.^[259]

Rudev gave the first mandate to GERB's prime ministerial candidate, Zhelyazkov, on 1 July, who decided to immediately complete it and submit his cabinet for a vote in the National Assembly.^[260] Zhelyazkov's cabinet was then defeated in the Assembly, thus voiding the mandate.^[261] Radev was set to present the second mandate to DPS; however, an internal conflict within the party between Ahmed Dogan and Delyan Peevski led to a split in its parliamentary group, thus making PP-DB the second largest group.^[262] On 15 July, Radev held a meeting with the representatives of PP-DB to determine when they wished to receive the second mandate.^[263] PP-DB asked the President to postpone the second mandate for three months, so that PP-DB could pass key anti-corruption laws which they believed were necessary to prove that a stable majority existed.^[263] Radev did not explicitly oppose this, but said that the primary task of PP-DB was to find a governing majority, rather than legislative action.^[263] Following the failure of PP-DB's negotiations, Radev delivered the second mandate to them, which was subsequently returned unfulfilled.^[264] He gave the third mandate to ITN, justifying the decision by citing their consistent positions.^[265] The mandate was again returned incomplete, thus meaning new legislative elections were inevitable.^[266]

51st National Assembly and Zhelyazkov government

The beginning of government formation procedures following the election of the 51st National Assembly was impeded by its inability to elect a Speaker, with the parliament electing Natalia Kiselova as speaker only on 6 December (almost a month following its convocation). Between 11 and 12 December, Radev held consultations with representatives of all the Parliamentary Groups, except DPS-NN.^[284] During the consultations, while most parties except GERB announced that they would not negotiate with DPS-NN; BSP-OL, APS, ITN, and DB did not deny that possibility.^[285]

Following the beginning of official negotiations between GERB and DB on December, 16th, as part of broader government formation negotiations further involving the BSP and ITN, Radev announced that the first mandate would be given to GERB after the New Year.^[286] Despite the seeming breakdown of government negotiations, Radev promised to grant an extended time period for the parliamentary parties before giving the first mandate to GERB.^[287] Ultimately, a government deal was agreed prior to the delivery of the first mandate to Zhelyazkov, on 15 January.^[288] During the delivery of the first mandate, Zhelyazkov returned it fulfilled, with Radev subsequently submitting his candidacy and the composition of his cabinet to the National Assembly.^[289] On 16 January, the National Assembly voted to approve the Zhelyazkov government, with it subsequently being sworn in. In February, Radev summoned a Consultative Council for National Security in relation to reports of increased youth drug abuse.^[290] After the council, held on 18 February, it was agreed that amendments would be made to existing laws in order to increase the liability for the sale of illegal narcotics to minors and further prevent minors from having access to narcotic substances.^[291]

Following speculation about the potential deployment of European forces in Ukraine (as part of a peace-keeping mission or deterrence force), Radev called on the National Assembly to assure Bulgarian citizens that Bulgaria would not participate in such a deployment.^[292] A National Assembly declaration to a similar effect was subsequently approved. On 17 February, prior to the annual commemoration of the Execution of Vasil Levski on 19 February, Radev signed a decree naming Sofia Airport in his honour.^[293] Commenting the disturbances caused by the protests of Revival against the introduction of the Euro, Radev condemned the use of violence by certain protesters, and lamented that more must be done by the government in order to reduce public tensions surrounding the topic.^[294]

Speaking at the Liberation Day ceremony, he called for unity and expressed hope for an end of hostilities in the Russo-Ukrainian War.^[295] Radev criticised state institutions in Bulgaria following an address by the Chairwoman of the Constitutional Court, Pavlina Panova, in which she stated that the work of the court when considering the case of the legitimacy of the preceding October elections was being obstructed by other state institutions.^[296] He further called for the re-introduction of machine voting in order to restore trust in the electoral system.^[297] After the Constitutional Court ruled in favour of a partial annulment of the preceding election results, Radev denied allegations by Borisov that he had orchestrated the ruling.^[298] Speaking after the swearing-on of newly elected Constitutional Court justice, Orlin Kolev, Radev posited that the future of the Zhelyazkov Government depended on Borisov and Peevski, and criticised the incumbent government for not doing enough to pursue anti-corruption reforms.^[299]

Speaking prior to the first vote of no confidence faced by the Zhelyazkov Government, Radev claimed that the incumbent government had attempted to avoid blame for controversial issues (such as traffic accidents and the deal with Turkish energy company Botash) by discrediting the Radev-appointed caretaker cabinets.^[300] He intensified his criticism of the government prior to the end of its first 100 days in office, wherein he stated that he believed that the incumbent government represented a continuation of the model of governance used by Boyko Borisov, as well as alleged corrupt practices associated with it.^[301] A further conflict developed between Radev and Borisov, after the arrival of new F-16 fighter jets, which had been purchased by the third Borisov government. Borisov claimed, following reports that the first jet which had arrived suffered from technical deficiencies, that the deficiencies were the fault of head of the air force, Nikolay Rusev, who he claimed was personally responsible to President Radev.^[302] In turn, Radev stated that the purchase of the F-16 jets was undertaken by the Borisov government and further called on the government to take responsibility for the maintenance of the aircraft.^[303]

Relations with Russia and views on the Russia–Ukraine war

In February 2017, Radev condemned and called for an end to the EU sanctions against Russia, while at the same time describing the Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation as a "violation of international law".^[361] In April 2022, Radev broke ranks with the Petkov government, declaring that he is fully opposed to Bulgaria providing weapons to Ukraine in relation to Russia's invasion of the latter, characterizing it as a step towards the direct involvement of Bulgaria in the conflict and seeing it as contrary to the pursuit of a peaceful solution.^[362] On 23 September 2022, Radev came out with what has been described as "his strongest statement yet on the Russian-Ukrainian conflict", calling the Russian organised referendums "unacceptable" and denouncing the use of "'the nuclear card'" by the Russian leadership.^[363]

On 2 October 2022, Radev refused to sign a declaration produced by other Eastern and Central European Presidents, which endorsed future Ukrainian ascension into NATO, citing the fact that discussions of Ukrainian membership were "too early" and had to involve collective decisions by NATO structures.^[364] Upon returning to Bulgaria from the NATO summit on 7 October, Radev reiterated his position that discussing Ukrainian ascension into NATO was too early, and further underlined his opposition to the provision of military aid to Ukraine.^[365]

During the December 2022 EU summit to discuss the new sanctions package, Radev threatened to veto it, if it included sanctions on the export of nuclear fuel, and further called on fellow EU leaders to begin to "refocus" their work towards achieving a ceasefire in the Ukrainian conflict.^[366] In February 2023, Radev signed a joint-declaration with the presidents of 9 other Eastern and Central European countries which condemned Russian aggression against Ukraine.^[367] At the same time, Radev reiterated his opposition to the sending of lethal aid to Ukraine, including at a meeting with Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban on 2 February.^[368] During the March 2023 EU summit to discuss the procurement of 1 million shells for Ukraine within a year, Radev insisted that Bulgaria would not participate in it, and further claimed he would ensure that Bulgarian ammunition sold to third parties was not sent to Ukraine.^[369] Despite this opposition, Radev ended up supporting the European Council resolution which included the provision of ammunition to Ukraine.^[370]

In July 2023, Radev met with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy. During the meeting, Radev expressed sympathy for Ukraine, but called for them to open negotiations with Russia in order to deescalate the war.^[371] Zelenskyy criticised Radev for his stance on the provision of military aid, saying that European nations have a shared interest in restraining Russia. After the meeting, Radev was criticised by the Denkov government, as well as international media, for purveying beliefs similar to the Russian government's.^[372][373] Radev, in turn, criticised the government for supposedly putting the national interests of Ukraine before those of Bulgaria.^[374] He called for Bulgaria to adopt an independent foreign policy from the Europe, and cease to increase lethal aid for Ukraine.^[375] At the 2023 UN Annual Global Summit, Radev condemned "the Russian aggression against Ukraine", and called for the UN to work towards "finding peaceful avenues" to resolve the war.^[376] Radev did not meet with Zelenskyy, who was also at the UN.^[377]

Radev opposed the dispatch of NATO member soldiers into Ukraine, even in a unilateral capacity, believing that this may trigger a war between the Russian Federation and NATO.^[378] Radev generally supported the second Trump administration's approach towards Russia, believing it would end the war in Ukraine; he urged the EU to adopt a similar foreign policy towards Russia.^{[379][380][381]} He was critical of the "re-armament fund" proposed by the European commission, claiming that it would substantially increase European debt.^[382]

Relations with Turkey

On 17 March 2017, Radev condemned as 'absolutely unacceptable' what he described as a Turkish intervention in Bulgaria's 2017 parliamentary election after the Turkish ambassador to Bulgaria was found to have appeared in a campaign clip for one of Bulgaria's political parties and after Turkish Social Affairs minister was found to have agitated and offer incentives for Bulgarian Turks in Turkey to cross the border in an organized voting campaign and vote for the same party. Radev stated that he had referred the matter to the European Union.^[383] He met with Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan several months later in July, following which he described Turkey as an "important neighbour, partner and ally", while at the same time stating that this status hinged on Turkey's respect for Bulgaria's "internal political process, regarding Bulgaria's political parties and electoral system". He also became the only EU head of state to attend Erdoğan's inauguration, stating that his mandate was not given to him by either the European Commission or the Bulgarian Government, but by the Bulgarian people.^[384]

On 24 January 2018, Radev condemned the Turkish invasion of northern Syria aimed at ousting U.S.-backed Syrian Kurds from the enclave of Afrin, and insisted that the European Union should intervene to stop it.^[385][386] During the campaign for the Bulgarian legislative elections in 2021, Radev accused Erdoğan of meddling with Bulgaria's internal affairs after participating in a video-conference with Bulgarian political party, DPS.^[387] In December 2022, Radev visited Erdoğan, achieving a deal to enhance border security and increase cooperation in the energy sector.^[388]

On 29 May 2023, Radev congratulated Erdoğan with his re-election after the 2023 Turkish presidential election,^[389] and later attended his inauguration, being the only European Union head of state to do so.^[390] During the inauguration, Radev and Erdoğan had a short meeting, during which Radev underlined the progress being made in economic relations between the two countries, particularly focusing on the agreement with Turkish gas company Botas.^[391]

Relations with North Macedonia

Radev has been critical of the EU accession of the Republic of North Macedonia.^[392] Radev has opposed the possibility of lifting the veto on North Macedonia's Eurointegration, at the very least until Bulgarians are added to the Constitution of North Macedonia.^[393] Radev has also asked for increased European Union-level action to prevent hate speech against Bulgarians living in North Macedonia.^[394]

Radev condemned the behaviour of the newly elected president of North Macedonia, Gordana Siljanovska-Davkova, and called for North Macedonia to adhere to existing treaties. The president maintained that the reluctance to observe the Treaty of Friendship with Bulgaria, signed in 2017, is an obstacle to the development of bilateral relations.^[395]

In September 2024, Radev met with Siljanovska-Davkova, at which key bilateral issues between the two countries were discussed.^[396] The meeting, which according to both sides had taken place in a pleasant and constructive atmosphere, provoked severely negative reactions from North Macedonian politicians, after a photo of the two presidents was published in which only the Bulgarian flag was present.^[397] In June 2025, Radev sent a letter to European Union leaders denouncing the report about North Macedonia's EU accession, which included the recognition of the Macedonian language and identity, and was categorised as being "weak" on the rights of Bulgarians by Bulgarian politicians.^[398]

Response to the 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel

On the day of the attack by Hamas on Israel, Radev made a statement on X condemning the Hamas-led attack on Israel and expressing solidarity with Israel.^[399] On 11 October, Radev held a national security meeting with the cabinet and representatives of the security apparatus, which excluded members of parliament, as in a traditional Consulative Council for National Security.^[400] Following this meeting, Radev and the prime minister, Denkov, came out with a joint-press briefing, at which Radev declared there was no imminent national security risk due to the Hamas-led attack, although the risk of migrant pressure on the border with Turkey, as well as possible infiltration by terrorist groups had increased.^[401]

Radev participated in a "prayer for peace" within the Central Sofia Synagogue, together with many other Bulgarian politicians, expressing disgust at "the cruel and violent acts committed by the terrorists" and solidarity with Israel.^[402] At the UN, Radev called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and called on Hamas to release all the Israeli hostages.^[403]

Other foreign policy activities

In April 2018, Radev criticised the 2018 missile strikes against Syria, instead calling for "less weapons and more dialogue".^[404][405] In February 2019, Radev condemned the third Borisov government's recognition of Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó as interim president of Venezuela during the 2019 Venezuelan presidential crisis, adding that he believed the government had overstepped its authority in recognizing the opposition leader as interim president. Radev further criticised the EU's recognition of Guaido, urging both the country and the EU to remain neutral and refrain from recognizing Guaido, as he viewed such recognition as imposing an ultimatum, which he deemed would only aggravate the crisis in Venezuela.^[406][407]

Radev was critical of the positions of Austria and the Netherlands, two countries that announced in December 2022 they would veto the ascension of Bulgaria into the Schengen Area, calling the decision "cynical" and in contrast with the concept of European solidarity.^[408] During an EU summit on 15 December 2022, Radev called on EU leaders to give a clear time table for Bulgaria's membership in the Schengen Area before the end of 2023, stating that Schengen membership was critical to "Bulgarian dignity as part of the European family".^[409] Radev further continued to insist that there were no valid reasons for Bulgaria's non-ascension into the Schengen Area, citing a 2011 European Commission Report which found Bulgaria ready to join the Schengen Area.^[410]