The President of Bulgaria, Rumen Radev, announced on Monday evening, in a televised speech addressed to the nation, that he will resign from office to officially enter the electoral race.
The decision comes after weeks of speculation about his intention to launch a political project, namely to establish his own party.
“I will resign from the position of President of the Republic of Bulgaria. I am convinced that Vice President Iliana Yotova will be a worthy head of state. We are facing a decisive battle for the future of our country. We are prepared, we can and we will succeed,” Radev declared, specifying that this is his last speech as president, according to novinite.com.
The head of state harshly criticized the current governance model, which he described as “a facade of democracy controlled by oligarchic mechanisms”. He accused the lack of transparency, corruption, and the increasing gap between citizens and institutions.
“Politics is done outside of institutions. Puppet masters openly give directives to Parliament, in front of the cameras. That’s why people no longer vote, no longer trust the media, and live with a sense of insecurity,” Radev said.
The president spoke about his nine years in office and recalled the successive crises, massive protests against oligarchic influence, and the seven interim governments he was forced to appoint.