SOFIA, Bulgaria, April 19, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - Former fighter pilot Rumen Radev has vowed to lead Bulgaria out of chronic political crisis if he wins Sunday's general election -- the eighth in five years.

Many voters see Radev -- who was Bulgaria's president until earlier this year -- as the only person capable of giving the corruption-plagued Balkan nation a fresh start.

The 62-year-old has presented himself as a defender of the poor of the EU's poorest country as he walks a tightrope on European issues.

He has hailed the benefits Bulgaria has reaped from EU membership while calling for dialogue with Russia as its invasion of Ukraine rages into a fifth year of fighting.

"Bulgaria is in a unique position, because we are the only EU member state that is both Slavic and Eastern Orthodox. That should be used," Radev, who was president for nine years, said recently.

- Role with Russia -

"And we really can be a very important link in this whole process, which I am sure will sooner or later begin, to restore relations with Russia," Radev added.

Last year he called for a referendum on Bulgaria entering the eurozone, saying it was not ready to join.

But he failed and Bulgaria adopted the single European currency on January 1.

Radev has also slammed military aid to Ukraine and the EU trying to turn its back on Russian oil and gas.

"Geographically, economically, in terms of resources and as a market, we need to rebuild those relations," he insisted.

- Raised fist -

For sociologist Parvan Simeonov, Radev is hard to figure out like many leaders in the region who, "depending on the visiting delegation, choose whether or not to fly the Ukrainian flag in the background."

Radev insists he embodies distrust of the country's elites and oligarchs, denying any links to them.

A graduate of the elite US Air War College, he later served as the head of the Bulgarian Air Force.

But he moved into politics in 2016 and later won a presidential election to the mostly ceremonial post.

Born on June 18, 1963 in the southeastern Soviet-era new town of Dimitrovgrad, the austere and reserved man does not have the polish of seasoned communicators.

When he vows to regulate public tenders through artificial intelligence or to reform the much?criticised judicial system, he sometimes gives the impression of reciting a memorised text.

But he won over many liberal pro-European voters when he openly supported protesters at 2020 rallies against corruption.

Radev walked out of the presidential palace with his fist raised to join the protests that ultimately toppled conservative prime minister Boyko Borisov a year later.

Radev was re?elected head of state in 2021 with two-thirds of the vote.

- Modest lifestyle -

Late last year he once again backed anti-corruption protesters and when the last government resigned in December, he stepped down as president to run as premier.

Simeonov said Radev's status as "the most popular leader" in the polls would put him in a decent position to negotiate a coalition after the election, leaving out discredited parties.

Radev's centre-left movement, Progressive Bulgaria, brings together a plethora of figures including military officers, former socialist officials and athletes, and the union leader of the country's main arms manufacturer, which has boomed from supplying Ukraine's army.

Radev is campaigning on combatting social inequalities and promoting budgetary discipline without calling for radical change, said Simeonov.

His promises of a return to stability appeals to voters tired of facing election after election.

Married with two children and intensely patriotic, Radev also woos voters with a modest lifestyle and his defence of what he calls family values.

A recent campaign video shot in a village shop went viral showing Radev soothing the grocer upset with rising prices and Bulgaria's eurozone entry.