Former fighter pilot Rumen Radev has vowed to lead Bulgaria through a political crisis. He has presented a platform defending the poor while also advocating for dialogue with Russia.

Former fighter pilot Rumen Radev has vowed to lead Bulgaria out of a chronic political crisis, with his grouping winning Sunday's general election – the eighth in five years. The 62-year-old has presented himself as a defender of the poor of the EU's poorest country as he walks a tightrope on European issues. He has hailed the benefits Bulgaria has reaped from EU membership while calling for dialogue with Russia as its invasion of Ukraine rages into a fifth year of fighting.