Former Bulgarian President Radev reclaims Power.

This morning, the former president of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, was sworn in as Prime Minister with a resounding majority. He had been the president of Bulgaria (a largely ceremonial role). According to a report in the Washington Post, Radev was the leader of the anti-corruption protests that toppled the previous government of Boyko Borisov. While taking a strong anti-corruption stance is admirable, Radev also appears to have some pro-Russian sentiments in openly criticizing the previous government’s warm relations with Ukraine. According to a report in Al-Jazeera Bulgarian police have seized $1.1 million that was allegedly used in buying votes and subsequently many political figures including local councilors and mayors have been arrested. I applaud Radev for taking a strong anti-corruption stance, but I fear that could be undermined if he forges close links to Putin and Russia.

Anti-Corruption Protests Rock Bulgaria.

Yesterday, a string of massive anti-corruption protests erupted across Bulgaria, including the capital, Sofia. This is the latest in a string of anti-corruption efforts worldwide. According to a report by Radio Free Europe, the central focus of protests is massive tax hikes in the most recent government budget. Bulgarian citizens are deeply unhappy that, according to Transparency International, Bulgaria is the second-most-corrupt country in the European Union. It is unclear what will happen next, but sentiment towards the prime minister, Boyko Borisov is at an all-time low.

Bulgaria and its connections with Russia & Corruption.

Bulgaria has a long and fraught history as a country where corruption has thrived for many years. According to an article in Forbes, Bulgaria is one of the only members of the EU that has not imposed sanctions on the Russian Federation as a state and on Russian individuals. Even Hungary, led by Viktor Orban, has imposed sanctions on Russia. Bulgaria’s lack of movement on sanctions is mainly because the government has close links to Russia at a governmental level and with the oligarchs. According to a report by the European Council on Foreign Relations, one of the main reasons for such a high level of influence is because of an attempted political coup by Russia in 2016. While the coup failed, like it did in Montenegro, it showed that Bulgarian society faces a massive challenge in eradicating Russian influence.