Radev said on Monday that he would submit his resignation to the country’s Constitutional Court on Tuesday. If approved, he will be replaced by Vice President Iliana Iotova

Bulgarian President Rumen Radev has announced that he will resign, fuelling speculation that he may form his own political party ahead of snap elections expected in the coming months.

Radev said on Monday that he would submit his resignation to the country’s Constitutional Court on Tuesday. If approved, he will be replaced by Vice President Iliana Iotova.

“Today, I am addressing you for the last time as president of Bulgaria,” the 62-year-old said in a televised address, adding that he was ready to join the “battle for the future” of the country.

His resignation, the first by a Bulgarian head of state since the end of communism comes as the European Union and NATO member grapples with a prolonged political crisis.

Bulgaria’s most recent government collapsed in December following mass anti-corruption protests, which Radev, a left-leaning figure, openly supported.

The upcoming snap election will be the country’s eighth in five years.
Large anti-corruption demonstrations last month forced the resignation of the governing coalition led by the centre-right GERB party.

Efforts to form a new government within the current parliament have since failed, pushing the country toward its eighth parliamentary election since 2021.

Radev, whose second term is due to end in 2026, has repeatedly suggested he may take part in the new elections. The former air force general has also been a vocal critic of GERB leader Boyko Borissov.

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