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SOFIA \u2013 Pro-Russian former President Rumen Radev is set for a runaway victory in Bulgaria\u2019s election, official results showed, potentially ending years of weak coalition governments and sidelining long-dominant political forces.<\/p>\n
The performance, surpassing opinion polls, is one of the strongest results by a single party in a generation and may end, for now, the instability that led to eight elections in five years.<\/p>\n
Radev\u2019s Progressive Bulgaria party had 44.6% of the vote after 60% of ballots were counted, suggesting it could \u2060rule alone in a strong minority government, but he has \u2060not ruled out a coalition with a pro-European group or a smaller party.<\/p>\n
Progressive Bulgaria\u2019s tally put it far ahead of the pro-European We Continue the Change-Democratic Bulgaria (PP-DB) coalition with 14.2%, and the long-dominant GERB party, led by former Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, at 13%.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis \u200bis a victory of hope over distrust, \u2060a victory of freedom over fear, and finally, if you will, a victory of morality,\u201d Radev told a press conference late on Sunday, a day before final election results are expected.<\/p>\n
A eurosceptic and former \u2060fighter pilot opposed to military support for Ukraine\u2019s war effort \u200cagainst Moscow, \u2060Radev stepped down from the presidency in January to run in the parliamentary election after mass protests forced out the previous government in December.<\/p>\n
He rode a wave of frustration with political instability in the Balkan nation of 6.5 million, where voters are sick \u200bof corruption and veteran parties that have dominated politics for decades.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is now an opportunity for the things people \u200chave been hoping to see change to actually become visible,\u201d Evelina Koleva, a manager at digital marketing company in Sofia, the capital, told Reuters.<\/p>\n
Radev\u2019s campaign drew comparisons with Hungary\u2019s pro-Kremlin former Prime Minister Viktor Orban when he talked about improving ties with Moscow and resuming the free \u200bflow of Russian oil and gas into Europe.<\/p>\n
He also criticised the European Union for relying too heavily on renewable energy.<\/p>\n
However, Radev has been vague on policy and it is not yet clear how much he will change foreign policy in Bulgaria, a NATO member on the EU\u2019s southeastern flank \u200cwhich joined the euro zone in January \u2013 \u200ba move Radev has criticised.<\/p>\n
On Sunday he said he would be willing to work on judicial reform with PP-DB and that Bulgaria would \u201cmake efforts to continue on its European path.\u201d<\/p>\n
Bulgaria has developed \u2060rapidly since the fall of communism in 1989 and joined the \u200cEuropean Union in 2007. Life expectancy has risen sharply, unemployment is the lowest in the EU, and the economy has greater safeguards since \u200badopting the euro.<\/p>\n
But it lags EU countries in other metrics.<\/p>\n
The cost of living has become a particular issue since Bulgaria joined the euro. \u200cThe \u2060previous \u2060government fell amid protests against a new budget proposing tax increases and higher social security \u200bcontributions.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe country\u2019s main challenge is the economic crisis and the demographic crisis,\u201d said Tihomir Bezlov, a senior fellow at the Centre \u200bfor the Study of Democracy in Sofia.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere do not seem to be \u200cmany ideas in the winning camp on either of these issues.\u201d [Reuters]<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n