Is Bulgarian prime minister Rumen Radev sizing up the EU’s Orbán-shaped hole?

Rightwing populist’s inconsistent positions on Europe and Russia suggest he is testing how far he can push partners and electorate One evening nine years ago in the Bulgarian town of Balgari, a Brazilian tourist approached the casually-dressed, middle-aged man surrounded by bodyguards, bystanders and photographers. “Why are you important?” she asked. “I’m not so important,” he replied. She repeated the question and he admitted: “I’m the president.” Now, in 2026, the rightwing populist Rumen R...

By Eden Maclachlan in Sofia