Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev is increasingly seen as a candidate to fill the role of the European Union's leading nationalist figure, a position long held by Hungary's Viktor Orban, according to a report from The Guardian. The development has sparked concern among EU officials who fear a consolidation of illiberal forces within the bloc.
Radev's Political Positioning
Radev, a former air force pilot who became prime minister in 2023, has recently adopted a more confrontational stance toward Brussels, echoing Orban's rhetoric on national sovereignty and migration. In a speech last month, he stated that “Bulgaria will not be dictated to by foreign bureaucrats,” a phrase that closely mirrors Orban's own language. The Guardian noted that Radev has also forged closer ties with Orban's Fidesz party, attending a summit of nationalist leaders in Budapest earlier this year.
Diplomatic sources in Sofia told The Guardian that Radev's shift is a calculated move to appeal to a domestic audience frustrated with EU policies, particularly on energy and migration. Bulgaria, the EU's poorest member state, has seen a rise in eurosceptic sentiment, with 42% of Bulgarians expressing a negative view of the EU in a recent poll, according to the report.
EU Concerns and Reactions
EU officials have expressed alarm at Radev's trajectory, fearing it could embolden other nationalist leaders in Central and Eastern Europe. “The idea of a Bulgarian Orban is deeply worrying,” a senior EU diplomat told The Guardian. “It would create a dangerous axis of illiberal governance within the union.” The diplomat added that Radev's recent veto of an EU migration pact, alongside Orban, was a clear signal of his ambitions.
The report also highlighted that Radev has been criticized for undermining judicial independence in Bulgaria, a key EU concern. In 2025, the European Commission issued a formal warning to Sofia over changes to the constitution that critics say concentrate power in the prime minister's hands. Radev has dismissed such criticism as “interference in Bulgaria's internal affairs.”
Impact on EU Politics
If Radev succeeds in consolidating a nationalist bloc, it could significantly alter the balance of power in the European Council. Currently, Orban's Hungary is often isolated in its opposition to EU policies, but a second like-minded leader could provide a stronger veto bloc. The Guardian noted that Radev's potential alliance with Orban could also complicate EU efforts to maintain unity on issues such as sanctions against Russia and support for Ukraine.
Political analysts in Sofia suggest that Radev's next test will be the 2027 European Parliament elections, where he aims to run a slate of candidates under a new nationalist party, separate from the traditional Bulgarian Socialist Party that originally backed him. “Radev is clearly sizing up the Orban-shaped hole in EU politics,” a Sofia-based analyst told The Guardian. “He sees an opportunity to become the standard-bearer for a new brand of European nationalism.”
