[REVISION HISTORY]

Rumen Radev controversy, cabinet trust, election date set

Updated 5 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

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2026-08-01 09:35 UTC → 2026-08-02 10:02 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Early July 2026, commentators criticised President Rumen Radev for not delivering a radical break from the GER‑B and DPS‑dominated system. High‑level appointments kept the status quo and his handling of MP Delian Peevski’s controversial flights was seen as a public humiliation, suggesting little reform progress. By late July the cabinet ordered the return of former DPS and BSP headquarters to state ownership and forced both parties to vacate within ten days. Former BSP MP Gabriel Valkan called for a progressive tax and warned of a large deficit. On 21 July the Council of Ministers confirmed the DPS headquarters hand‑over, while Bulgaria withdrew from the “Coalition of the Willing,” redeployed U.S. tanker aircraft and stalled a Kyiv declaration, raising questions about Radev’s foreign‑policy coherence. Democratic Bulgaria warned on 23 July that the 2026 budget risked a fiscal spiral. Sociologist Andrey Raichev noted on 26 July that polls showed stable public confidence, identifying criticism from a Russian‑friendly bloc and a “blues” opposition reacting to perceived U.S. influence. A 30 July poll gave 42 % approval for the Radev cabinet (personal trust 47.8 %) and highlighted concerns over prices, corruption, health‑care, road safety and low policy effectiveness; Progressive Bulgaria led party support at 41.6 %. On 31 July Parliament set 25 October for the presidential election. The governing Progressive Bulgarian party backs incumbent President Iliana Yotova, testing whether Radev’s party can retain both the presidency and government. The Central Election Commission will conduct the vote with mandatory electronic voting in about 9,400 stations using roughly 12,000 machines, with maintenance pending and a possible runoff on 1 November.

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