The entry of President Rumen Radev into active politics was not a surprise, but a logical conclusion to processes that had been developing for months. The decision was apparently prepared, but accelerated by public tension and the protests in December. What are the expectations, risks and potential of a new political project around Radev... Sociologist Yanitsa Petkova from the “Myara“ agency spoke to FACTI.
- Ms. Petkova, January 19, 2026 - was that the day “we least expected“ President Rumen Radev to leave office?
- If I have to be honest - no. This had been expected for more than a month. From this perspective, the decision was not a surprise, but rather the moment it was announced. The message “when you least expect it” sounded like a challenge to his future political opponents, not so much to society.
- Were there real expectations that this would happen now?
- For more than a month, there has been talk of a similar scenario with increasing intensity. The protests in December played a decisive role. I have the feeling that the decision was made on the fly – a suitable occasion was being sought, and it came precisely with the protests.
- Do you think the protests tipped the scales?
- Absolutely. Radev was looking for the moment – the protests gave him it. We had not seen such mobilization as there was at the protests in years. It is not just about the number of people, but about the feeling of accumulated disappointment and the need for an alternative. This gave the decision a political context.
- Can Rumen Radev really become this alternative?
- This is already a separate question. It depends on the program, platform, political partnerships, coalitions and the people around him. And most of all - whether those who feel unrepresented will recognize him as their representative.
- How did the end of his speech sound to you - “Together we can“?
- It is not something new. We have heard similar messages in his New Year's speech and before. It was a request for unity - especially to young people and to the protesters in 2020 and 2025. We also saw the outline of a specific political enemy. He was not named directly, but the mafia and the status quo were clearly personified by the previous ruling parties. The main line will be unity against them.
- Which parties should be most worried about Radev's appearance on the political scene? The electorates of “Ima takva narod“, “Veličie“, MECH, and to some extent also BSP...
- Disappointment among ITN is high, and their electorate is strongly protest and youthful. With parties with a more fluid vote like “Veličie“ there is also a risk of spillover. Without Radev, we expected more of “more of the same“ in the upcoming elections - erosion of the parliamentaryly represented parties and minimal changes in the proportions. Now the situation is different. Obviously, we are already in an election campaign and there is a serious mass of people who are disappointed and feel unrepresented. This mass can be mobilized and I assume that this will be exactly the president's goal. This does not mean that there is no solid electorate for the current parties, but disappointed voters with a more left or conservative profile could recognize Radev.
- What is the situation with the BSP?
- The situation there has been specific and in crisis for a long time. There is a large group of left-wing people who do not vote. They could recognize Radev as their representative, depending on how the party will restructure itself and what its reaction will be.
- What effect should we expect from Radev's project on electoral activity?
- A new political project, combined with large-scale protests, almost certainly means higher activity. I think that Radev will rely on this wave and that is why he reacted so quickly after the protests.
- Is there time to build a party and structures?
- Time is extremely short. And who he will go with – the people, the team, the partnerships – that will be decisive. Political trust is not enough on its own.
- Can we predict the election result?
- No. The questions of majority or sole rule are completely open and remain to be seen.