Bulgaria Has Its Strongman. Who Will Rumen Radev Turn Out to Be?

Bulgaria has its most decisive electoral shift in a generation. But who is Rumen Radev — reformer or risk? Wojciech Przybylski is joined by Spasimir Domaradzki, assistant professor at the University of Warsaw and Visegrad Insight Fellow, for an immediate post-election assessment recorded on 20 April 2026, less than 24 hours after the results.They examine Radev's two faces: his track record of pro-Russian positioning and ambiguous statements on Ukraine versus his image as an anti-corruption outsider and former fighter jet pilot; the collapse of state-capture actors Boyko Borisov and Delyan Peevski; and whether Bulgaria could follow Hungary's trajectory as a disruptive force inside the European Union.Read Spasimir's article for Visegrad Insight: https://visegradinsight.eu/bulgaria-votes-russia-hopes-for-new-orban/Visegrad Insight Weekly Outlook: https://visegradinsight.eu/bulgaria-radev-will-test-europe-resolve-on-russia/Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/BkbUM0HnP48Listen on Spotify:Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/at/podcast/bulgaria-has-its-strongman-who-will-rumen-radev-turn/id1515725435?i=1000763047577&l=en-GB