“Progressive Bulgaria“ will support the presidential candidate pair Iliyana Yotova and Kiril Valchev in the upcoming elections. This was announced by Prime Minister and party chairman Rumen Radev after a meeting of the party's Executive Council today, Nova TV reports. He also commented on the police actions against representatives of local authorities from MRF, categorically rejecting the accusations that the ruling party is using the institutions for political pressure.
“The world is on fire right now and this is not the time for amateurs at the top of the state. Bulgaria must be in safe hands. That is why we from “Progressive Bulgaria“ we will vote for Mrs. Iliyana Yotova and Kiril Valchev – for peace and security. This is our decision“, said Radev.
The Prime Minister called on citizens to actively participate in the presidential elections, defining the vote as an opportunity to put an end to the political agreements of recent years. “It is important that we vote in order to close the shameful period of the assemblies once and for all. Let us not give any chance to the parties of the status quo to hinder this new dynamic“, he said.
Radev also criticized his political opponents, accusing them of trying to hinder the actions of the institutions against corruption. “You know that in recent days our institutions have taken decisive action against individuals for whom there are signals and data of corruption. As you can see, the assembly is alive and, although in opposition, its leaders are doing everything possible to hinder the fight against the oligarchy“, said the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister was also asked about the accusations of the MRF that the government orders police actions against mayors of the party for the purpose of intimidation. “It is acting exclusively and only on the basis of signals and data about corruption. I expect the Ministry of Interior and the services to continue working in this direction and to guard against any actions that can be used politically, specifically in this election campaign“, replied Radev.
The Prime Minister also rejected the accusations that the actions of the investigators against representatives of the MRF can be defined as a “new revival process“. “It is not acting against citizens of a certain ethnicity, as was the Revival Process. Let's not confuse things. This is about corruption“, the prime minister stressed.
When asked whether the investigation in Sungurlare could lead to other individuals, including current politicians, Radev said that the collected testimony is directing investigators beyond the municipality. “I cannot comment on the actions of the Ministry of Interior. I only know that there are witness statements, there are statements from everyone involved, which lead far beyond Sungurlare. That's why I said this is the beginning," the Prime Minister said.
When asked whether the investigation reaches current politicians, he replied that this is yet to be clarified by law enforcement agencies.
His statement comes against the backdrop of heightened tension between the ruling party and the MRF following a series of actions by investigative agencies against local government representatives.
Earlier on Thursday, the mayor of Kardzhali, Erol Mumun, was taken in for questioning and released a few hours later. According to the police, he was summoned in connection with an inspection, but did not appear for a long time. Myumyun himself linked the case to a report by a former municipal employee and accused the government of political pressure.
Meanwhile, the Burgas prosecutor's office has charged the mayors of Belitsa and Sungurlare - Radoslav Revanski and Dimitar Gavazov, as well as the regional chairman of the MRF in Burgas, Hristo Shirokov. According to the state prosecution, the three participated in a criminal conspiracy for the purpose of trading in influence in the period from 2024 to 2026.
The police operations sparked protests by MRF supporters. The party's leader, Delyan Peevski, accused Rumen Radev's cabinet of repression against representatives of the movement. Against this background, the Prime Minister insisted that the actions of the law enforcement agencies were related to signals of corruption, and not to the political affiliation of the individuals being checked.
Radev criticizes the EP resolution on security in the Black Sea
Prime Minister Radev also sharply criticized the European Parliament resolution on security in the Black Sea, which contains remarks on the actions of the Bulgarian authorities in connection with the military incidents in the region.
According to the Prime Minister, the document is being used by Bulgarian MEPs for domestic political purposes on the eve of the presidential elections. “The European Parliament, unfortunately, is being used as a tool by Bulgarian MEPs with limited political legitimacy in their own country to conduct a doomed election campaign at the national level. This is unworthy“, he said.
Radev pointed out that the names of the representatives in question in the European Parliament are known and will be made public. After a journalist clarified that the resolution was supported by over 400 MEPs, the Prime Minister replied that the support comes from the political families of the Bulgarian representatives, who, according to him, had presented misleading information to their colleagues.
He defined part of the content of the document as a manifestation of “unacceptable ignorance and manipulation“. His objections to the call for Bulgaria to join the NATO initiative to counter drone threats within a certain period were particularly sharp.
According to Radev, it is unacceptable for the European Parliament to set deadlines for a sovereign state to participate in a North Atlantic Alliance initiative. “The European Parliament orders a sovereign state, Bulgaria, when and what decisions to take. The European Union gives us an order to join a NATO initiative to combat drones, given that the Minister of Defense has very clearly said when we will join“, the Prime Minister said.
According to him, the initiative was announced back in February 2025, but the previous governments did not take the necessary actions for Bulgaria's accession. “The governments of these MEPs of ours did nothing, and now they are telling us: you do it on time. Do you understand the whole bankruptcy?“, Radev asked rhetorically.
The Prime Minister also commented on the investigation of the incidents in the Black Sea. He explained that the authorities are still awaiting the results of the expert examinations, which should clarify the circumstances surrounding what happened. “We are also waiting for the expert examination from our investigators, we are waiting for the expert examination from a specialized team that came here from our partner and allied country. As soon as the conclusions of these expert examinations are released, we will inform you“, the Prime Minister assured.