Bulgarian parliament approves Rumen Radev as new prime minister

Bulgaria’s parliament on May 8 approved the composition and structure of a new government led by former president Rumen Radev

A total of 124 lawmakers from the Progressive Bulgaria party voted in favour, while 70 voted against and 36 abstained, Caliber.Az reports, citing Bulgarian media.

Following the vote, the new prime minister and cabinet ministers were sworn in before parliament.

Radev’s nomination was presented by faction leader Petar Vitanov, who said the new government would restore “normality” and bring back values such as trust, honour, and solidarity.

The new cabinet includes Velislava Petrova-Chamova as foreign minister and Dimitar Stoyanov as defence minister.

The Progressive Bulgaria party, which won 44.59% of the vote in the April 19 elections, formed a single-party majority and nominated Radev for the premiership.

Rumen Radev served as president of Bulgaria from 2017 to 2026.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov