Bulgarian president sails to reelection on anti-corruption message

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev won a second term in office by a wide margin during Sunday’s presidential run-off election, Reuters reported. 

According to exit polls, Radev earned 66 percent of the votes, defeating his opponent Anastas Gerdzhikov who earned 32 percent of the vote. 

Radev, a former air-force commander, nearly won the election outright in the first round on Nov. 14, according to Reuters. 

He told reporters on Sunday the results “clearly highlighted the desire of the people for change, to break with corruption, robbery and unlawfulness and remove the mafia from power.”

The presidential post is largely ceremonial but still influential, and given crucial decision making powers in times of crisis. 

After the vote, Radev urged both parties to work with one another to forge a ruling government and pass judicial reforms, along with managing the COVID-19 pandemic, protecting the vulnerable and reining in high energy costs, Reuters reported. 

Radev’s anti-corruption party won huge in last week’s parliamentary elections amid widespread discontent against high-level graft that ended the rule of former prime minister Boyko Borissov.

Radev gained popularity supporting anti-graft protests last year and helping appoint interim governments that dug into past corruption in Borissov’s cabinet, Reuters reported.

Borissov has denied any wrongdoing in those claims. 

Radev is set to begin his second term on Jan 22., Reuters noted.