Former Bulgaria President Rumen Radev – known for his soft line on Russia and a flair for populist statements – has launched his party, Progressive Bulgaria. He looks set to win big in the April 19 snap elections but his campaign strategy has been a curious one: staying largely absent from the political discourse.
Bulgaria’s government stepped down after facing several protests over a two-weeks period. It was a surprise move in a country where disgraced politicians rarely back down, and even reformists that emerge from protest waves end up by doing politics “in the old ways”.