Georgia’s ruling party official says Bulgaria picked patriot focused on national interests, not deep state agenda

Levan Machavariani, the first deputy chair of the ruling Georgian Dream party faction in the legislative body, on Monday commented on the results of the snap parliamentary elections in Bulgaria, emphasising that the Bulgarian people have made a choice in favour of a patriotic leader who prioritises national sovereignty and cultural identity.

In his remarks, Machavariani noted that “these approaches do not fit into the agenda of the deep state and they immediately branded Rumen Radev as someone under Russian influence”.

“In the end, they made their choice and chose a patriotic person who stands out by the fact that, just like our government, national interests are important to him, and the identity of his nation is important. Of course, these approaches do not fit into the agenda of global forces, informal oligarchic rule, the so-called deep state, and immediately this politician was labeled as being under Russian influence. This is a usual pattern; everything is familiar here”, the official said.

In Bulgaria’s eighth snap parliamentary election in the last five years, the Progressive Bulgaria party, associated with former President Rumen Radev, is currently leading. With over 90% of the votes counted, the party is projected to secure 129 mandates.

Rumen Radev has been a vocal critic of certain EU policies, opposes military aid to Ukraine, and advocates for improved relations with Moscow